Genderbent Yuu and Mika Drabbles
by Elly3981
Summary: What if Yuu and Mika were girls instead of boys? Here's my take on how OnS might have differed from canon if they were female, with alternate versions of various scenes from the anime and manga as well as in between, including their relationship with each other as well as their other friends and acquaintances. Some drabbles will be related, others not. Some canon-based, some AU.
1. The Tragic Swordmaiden

**Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only.** **This is an alternate version of chapter 15 of the manga and episode 12 of the anime in which Mikaela is a girl and Lacus is in love with her. There will be a bit OOCness on Lacus' part because I've decided to make him a bit of a 'nicer' person than he is in the canon story.**

 **The Tragic Swordmaiden**

" _Detoxification of the curse is complete. Please step out of the detoxification chamber."_

Mikaela Hyakuya slowly opened her eyes as the computerized voice finally shook her out of her sleep. Running a hand up her chest between her breasts, the young blonde found that there was no trace of the wound Yuichiro had given her and that it was safe to assume that the wound in her back was gone as well. As soon as the doors to the detoxification chamber slid open, Mika sat up, completely nude, and noticed for the first time that her eyes were misty with tears.

 _It's so strange,_ she thought, _I haven't cried since becoming a vampire…_

Mikaela pondered the thought for a moment before wiping her eyes and reaching back to pull her long blond hair, which had been sticking to her back as she slept, over her shoulder before climbing out of the small glass chamber she had been sleeping in for the last few hours since Ferid had brought her back to Sanguinem after the battle of Shinjuku. The fiery gold mane that her ex-benefactor so admired, had become a great source of annoyance for the young blonde ever since she began her training to become a soldier of the vampire army. As a child, Mika's hair hung to her waist which she once wore with pride but when she started combat training, the blonde often found her long hair becoming a nuisance as well as a potential safety hazard if she did not take the pains to put it up in a tight bun with at least a dozen pins to keep it in place every morning.

If she could, Mika would have worn her hair in a bob like Chess Belle but to her dismay, the blonde quickly discovered that upon becoming a vampire, her hair would not stay short no matter what she did. When Mika questioned Queen Krul about it, her dame explained to her that a vampire's hair would always remain the same length as when they were turned, never growing any longer or, if cut, always growing back to its original length within a few minutes, making it impossible for any long-haired vampire to maintain a shorter haircut.

If Mikaela had any idea she was going to become a vampire, she would have cut her hair herself before being turned. But she knew that was just wishful thinking on her part and that she was simply going to have to live with her three feet of heavy, thick tresses for the rest of her vampire existence.

After climbing out of the chamber, Mika looked around and found that she was alone. The other female vampires who returned with her after the battle of Shinjuku had long finished getting dressed and left, leaving her completely by herself in the dressing room. The blonde wasn't surprised. After all, the injuries she sustained during the battle were more serious than any of theirs so Mika required more time to recuperate. She knew that Lacus and Rene, the two vampire guards Queen Krul had assigned as her partners as well as bodyguards, must have finished getting dressed long ago and were likely waiting for her outside the women's dressing room and it would be impolite to keep them waiting any longer.

Knowing that, Mika quickly put on the new female vampire guard uniform along with a new pair of boots that the maintenance staff had set out for her and bushed her hair quickly before stepping out of the room and into the hallway where she found Lacus alone waiting for her. From the look of things, she might have taken longer than she thought so the purple-haired vampire probably told Rene to go on ahead without them.

Upon seeing the blonde fully rested and healed as well as dressed, Lacus smiled. "It's nice to see you've finally come to. How're you feeling, Mika?"

"I'm fine, thank you" she answered politely. "I'm sorry I took so long; were you waiting here for me the whole time?"

"About an hour or so. Rene had some things he needed to take care of so I told him to go on ahead while I stayed her to wait for you."

Mika frowned. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to trouble you."

Lacus shook his head. "No, it's alright. You seemed to be the one most seriously hurt during the battle so it's understandable you needed more time in the detox chamber to recover. Queen Krul told me to make sure you were completely rested and recovered before escorting you to the royal audience hall; she has some questions for you."

"Questions?"

"About that… creature we saw in Shinjuku. But come, we can talk about it on the way."

As he says this, Lacus offered Mika his arm in a gentlemanly fashion which she took after a moment's hesitation. Her relationship with her guards had always been professional but it was not lost on the blonde that Lacus had looked upon her more fondly than Rene who tended to be more distant even though both of them protected her loyally as per Krul's orders. She had only pretended not to notice that the purple-haired vampire's interest her might have gone beyond duty and obligation but wasn't sure how much longer she could ignore it.

As the pair made their way down the hall and towards the royal audience hall where the queen awaited them, Lacus finally broke the silence that had been lingering between them since they met outside the women's dressing room.

"So, Mika… what do you think that creature was?" he asked curiously.

Startled, Mikaela hesitated for a moment as she tried to think of how she should answer. "I… I don't know…"

Lacus paused for a moment, causing Mika to stop with him before looking into her eyes. "Are you sure, Mika? Because it looked to me that he seems to know _you_."

Mika looked away and closed her eyes, trying to avoid her bodyguard's questioning gaze. "Please, Lacus, I don't want to talk about it."

"I'm sorry, Mikaela but I'm afraid you have no choice. You may be able to refuse me an answer, but not the queen and you know that. Why do you think she has summoned you to the royal chamber and ordered me to make sure you get there without fail?"

"I know… and I will not refuse anything she asks of me but I truly do not know _what_ the creature we saw in Shinjuku was and I can't tell either of you what I do not know."

"But you know _who_ he was, don't you? He was an acquaintance of yours, wasn't he? Well, whatever he is, he's got the entire vampire army talking about him not to mention the progenitors as well."

"I…"

Before Mika could say anything, she and Lacus heard a voice over the intercom ringing through the hall.

" _Mikaela Hyakuya, the third founder Krul Tepes, has summoned you; please report to the royal audience hall immediately."_

Upon hearing that, Mika had to fight the urge to let out a sigh of relief. She knew that Krul didn't like to be kept waiting long but this time, she was grateful for her dame's impatience for it gave her an excuse to end this uncomfortable conversation with her purple-haired bodyguard.

Trying to change the subject, Mika started walking again, prompting Lacus to follow. "We must hurry," she said. "It would be rude to keep Her Majesty waiting." Lacus sighed and finally acknowledge defeat- at least for now.

When they finally arrived at the great doors leading to royal chamber where the queen awaited, Mika gently prodded Lacus to release her arm before saying "Queen Krul wishes to speak with me alone; please don't wait here on my account since I've already kept you waiting outside the women's dressing room long enough."

Before her guard could reply, Mika quickly opened the door to Krul's chambers and slipped inside, allowing the heavy doors to close behind her. Lacus knew the blonde hadn't meant to be rude but she was deliberately trying to avoid his questions. After Mikaela had gone inside, Lacus stood outside for a moment as he pondered her words before he heard a familiar voice calling out to him.

"So how did it go?"

Turning, Lacus saw Rene Simm approaching him from the other end of the hall. So preoccupied was he with his thoughts that he didn't even notice the presence of the raven-haired vampire.

"Rene? What are you doing here?"

"Just checking up on you two. Is Mika all right?"

"She's fine. Just took a bit longer to recover than the other ladies because of the extent of her injuries."

"I'm glad to hear that. Well, since Mika is with the queen now, you should be returning to guard duty with me; we still have a few hours before our shift ends. Whatever you have to say to her can wait till then."

Lacus frowned in disappointment but he knew Rene was right. Contrary to what he thought, the elder vampire, who was also his cousin as well as best friend, was well aware of his seemingly unrequited feelings for their princess even though Mikaela herself did not care to be called such.

As he followed Rene out of the palace and back into the city, Lacus suddenly asked, "What do you think that creature was, Rene?"

The elder vampire was silent for a moment before answering.

"I am not sure; I've only heard rumors. But word has been getting around Sanguinem as well the rest of the vampire army that the humans have been experimenting with a forbidden enchantment, one capable of destroying the world, something much worse than the apocalypse which nearly wiped out all the humans eight years ago."

"You mean, the Seraph of the End?"

"Yes."

"But I thought that was only a legend."

"I thought so too. But now I realize there must be some truth to it for the issue has already been raised at the progenitor council."

"Do you think that it was Lord Ferid's intention for us to retrieve that creature in Shinjuku?"

"Quite possibly. But the mission was a failure."

Lacus snorted. "I can never tell what's going on inside that bastard's head; sometimes I think he seems happier when we fail."

Rene let out a chuckle at his cousin's remark, a rarity for him since he almost never even cracked a smile.

"Perhaps. But Lord Ferid isn't what's really on your mind, is he?"

Lacus scowled. It seemed his cousin knew him too well and he was right. The silver-haired noble was of no interest to him. But a certain blonde princess was.

"Hey, Rene?" he began.

"Yes, Lacus?"

"Who is Mikaela Hyakuya, really?"

The sudden question made the elder vampire pause in his tracks for a moment before turning to his cousin. "You've been her bodyguard for almost five years and you only thought to ask that just now?" he asked in astonishment.

"I thought of her as just a livestock child Queen Krul had ordered us to protect as her pet."

"And now?"

Lacus was silent for a moment as he tried to think how he should answer. What he said was true; he used to think of Mika as nothing more than a troublesome little girl and was none too pleased when Krul had placed the unruly twelve-year-old under his and Rene's care but he knew it would be unwise to for either of them to refuse their queen's orders. However, as the years went by, and he watched her grow from a child to a beautiful young woman, his attitude had changed and he was now willing to do anything for Mikaela, anything to keep her safe or make her happy.

"I think Mika is… something special; she must be if Queen Krul has ordered us to protect her with our lives."

Rene nodded. "You may be right. But I'm afraid I cannot tell you anything more about Mikaela Hyakuya than you yourself already know; she is the adopted daughter and favorite swordmaiden of Queen Krul Tepes, an honor we both know she had rightly earned with her skill in the fighting arts."

"Is that all she really is? Where did the queen come by her?"

"I have no idea. But…"

"But?"

"I don't know all the details but I've some people say that Mika had also been the favorite concubine of Lord Ferid Bathory when she was a human and that she had piqued the interest of Queen Krul who turned and adopted her. Why? Nobody knows."

Lacus found his face scrunching in disgust at the revelation since Mika had only been a child when she was turned but what Rene said did make sense since Ferid always made sure to keep the young blonde within his reach. Not only was it very possible that Mikaela had been the seventh progenitor's concubine as a human, but it was also possible that she still _is_ , as a vampire. But even so, Lacus knew that likely wasn't the reason, or at least the only one that made her always keep him at arm's length.

"I see…"

Sensing the younger vampire's disappointment, Rene took pity on his cousin and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Lacus, I understand you think of Mikaela as more than someone you've been ordered to protect and I don't blame you; she is beautiful, intelligent, relentless, and fearless. But you don't know who she really is, where she's been, or if she even feels the same way about you."

"I know…"

"I just don't want to see you get hurt; after all, you're the only family I have left."

To this, Lacus let out a bitter laugh. "Well, I appreciate your concern, cousin, but you need not worry about my feelings; I'm a big boy now."

Rene managed a ghost of a smile before taking his hand back. "I'm glad you understand. Now let's get going; I'd rather not have to explain to Lord Ferid why we were late to guard duty."

"Of course."

 **SSSSSS**

Mikaela Hyakuya smiled as she looked towards the sky from where she stood in the docking area for the vampire planes in Sanguinem, something she had rarely done since she had been turned. The moon was full and countless stars dotted the midnight sky, reminding her of the times she and Yuichiro used to spend their nights stargazing together as children. Despite the hectic events of the day, Mika was happy knowing that the member of her family whom she loved and treasured most still lived. Yuichiro was now a young man; he had grown taller and more handsome than her imagination had painted him in her mind's eye in the four years since they were forced to part at the gates of Sanguinem.

 _Just you wait, Yuu-chan, I don't know how, but I promise that I'll save you!_ The young swordmaiden thought before a familiar voice caught her attention.

"Mika?"

Startled, the blonde turned and saw Lacus standing behind her.

"Yes, Lacus?"

"Your guard duty shift has already been over for five minutes now; there's no reason for you to stay here any longer. Shall I escort you to your room now?"

Mika tried to avoid her bodyguard's eyes, knowing that he had not forgotten the conversation they had earlier that day and that he had no plans to drop it until he got the answers he wanted. In that way, Lacus was just as stubborn as herself. Still, she tried to think of an excuse to get him to leave.

"You need not trouble yourself, Lacus. I am perfectly fine going back by myself."

"I'm afraid I must insist, princess. The queen has made it clear she wants me to make sure you get back to your quarters at the palace safe and sound. And to be frank, I do not wish to be held responsible if something happens to you so I hope you understand. And besides, I've been escorting you home for almost five years now and you've never had any objection. Why now?"

Mika flinched slightly at Lacus' formal tone. He knew she hated being called 'princess' and would only use her title when the situation was dire or when he and Rene wanted her to realize they were being serious about something.

Knowing that Lacus wasn't going to let her off this time, Mika finally relented. "Very well, let us go then."

As he did earlier that day and countless times before, Lacus offered Mika his arm and she took it. Ever since she was placed under his and Rene's care, it was routine for Lacus to escort her home after she had finished her schooling, combat training, and later guard duties. Rene would only escort her in his place when Lacus was sent away on missions and never had any issues with taking turns if the purple-haired vampire wanted it but Lacus insisted on escorting Mikaela himself as often as he could.

Normally, she did not have any problems engaging in conversation with her bodyguard and was more than happy to talk to him about almost anything to pass the time until they made it back to her room at the palace. But after everything they had both witnessed today, Mika knew that things will never quite be the same between them and remained silent for the entire twenty-minute walk until they finally reached her room. Slipping her arm from Lacus', Mika tried to avoid looking at him as she reached into her pocket and took out the key to her room. Still, she didn't want to be rude so the blonde thought she should at least thank her bodyguard for his trouble.

"I appreciate what you and Rene have done for me these past four years. I know there must be other things you'd rather do after your shifts than escort me home every night like this."

"It is no trouble," Lacus said gently. "Yes, the queen has ordered it but I also wanted to do it…for you, Mikaela."

Keeping her eye on the door, Mika unlocked it before stepping inside. "Thank you, Lacus. Have a good night."

As she was about the close the door, the blonde was startled when her bodyguard stepped inside her room as well, before closing-and locking the door behind them.

"Lacus? Was there something else?" Mika asked, startled at the sudden intrusion.

"Yes. There are some things I need to talk to you about and I know you've been avoiding me all day…"

"Please Lacus, I told you I don't want to talk about it…"

"I'm sorry, Mikaela, but I must know. What or _who_ was that creature we fought in Shinjuku today? The one who practically wiped the streets with Lord Crowley Eusford? You know him, don't you?"

Knowing that Lacus would not leave until she gave him an answer, Mika nodded.

"I do…"

"Who is he?"

"His name is Yuichiro Hyakuya… my brother."

Lacus raised an eyebrow. "Brother? Now how can that be?" he demanded, "You two look nothing alike!"

Mika shook her head. "No…we are not blood-related. We lived together at the Hyakuya Orphanage until we were taken to Sanguinem by the vampires to be livestock where we lived for four years. Just before I was turned, we tried to escape together with the other orphans but only Yuu-chan was able to get away; Ferid had killed the rest..."

"And that's when Krul had saved and turned you? So is it true what the rumors say? That you were Bathory's favorite concubine?"

"Yes, I was."

"But why?"

"I did for my family because it would have been much harder for us to survive without Lord Ferid's favor and protection, especially Yuu-chan, because he would often get sick from refusing to take the nutrient-replenishing drink as he should have after the blood drawings."

Lacus couldn't believe what he was hearing. That the seemingly innocent blonde before him had prostituted herself to a vampire lord as a child, and not even for herself, but for the sake of the orphans she called her family, especially for the boy who had attacked her when they finally saw each other again for the first time in four years. The purple-haired vampire saw the way Mikaela looked at Yuichiro when Ferid had forcibly taken her from the battlefield and it was not the way a sister would look at her brother.

Mikaela gasped as she felt her bodyguard grab her by the arms in a bruising grip as he gave her a piercing glare.

"So that's it!" Lacus hissed, his voice laced with venomous jealousy. "You turn me away, ignore my every smile, refuse the touch of my hand, for a _human!"_

The blonde tried not flinch when she heard her bodyguard spat the word 'human' like it was filth. Were it not for Yuu-chan, she might have agreed with him. And unlike so many other vampires, Mikaela herself had not forgotten that she was once human as well.

"I'm sorry, Lacus, but you are wrong!"

"Am I?"

"Yuichiro is innocent; he's not at fault for what happened in Shinjuku! He was just being used! No matter what, he's still my brother and I love him!"

"Brother? You mean the monster who stabbed you in the chest _and_ back!?" Lacus demanded.

"He wasn't himself!"

"He would have killed you had Lord Ferid not been there!"

Mika fell silent as she heard those words. She knew Lacus was right; after all, he had been there and had seen everything. And as much has he hated Ferid Bathory, Lacus still had to acknowledge the fact that Mikaela would not be alive now if it weren't for the silver-haired noble who saved her when he and Rene couldn't get to her in time due to having their hands full fighting off the other human soldiers.

Not knowing what else to say, Mika dropped her head. "I'm sorry, Lacus" she said quietly.

Her bodyguard calmed down as he gently released her. "No, I'm the one who must apologize. I had no right to touch you and was totally out of line. I will accept whatever punishment you and Queen Krul deem fit."

Mika shook her head. "It's ok, I'm not angry and I promise not to tell Queen Krul. I just didn't want you to find out this way but Yuu-chan is the only family I have left and I must save him!"

"Are you sure, princess? Do you not consider me your family as well? I, who have protected you with my life since you were a child? I love you, Mikaela and my feelings for you haven't changed despite what you have confessed!"

"I..." for the first time in her life, Mikaela Hyakuya found herself completely at a loss as to what to say. No one had ever told her they loved her this way, not even Yuichiro for she still believed he saw her only as a sister despite her own feelings for him.

Turning her back to Lacus, Mika removed her belt with her sheathed sword still attached to it and threw it in the corner of her room before going to sit on her bed, her hands in her lap. She wanted to say something but had no idea how to respond her bodyguard after what he had confessed to her. Of course, Mika had known, or at least sensed that Lacus' feelings for her went beyond his duties as her protector and she certainly couldn't tell him to leave now.

Lacus stood and watched Mikaela for a moment before coming over and sitting next to her on the bed. After a moment of silence, he gently took her face by the chin and forced her to look into his ruby-red eyes, the same color her own eyes would be if she had not stubbornly refused to drink human blood and complete her transformation.

"Look at me…" he began sadly "Is your precious Yuu-chan so much more handsome than I?"

Mika took in a sharp breath at her bodyguard's question. How could he ask her such a thing? They both knew Lacus wasn't hard on the eyes at all; even many of the human women and girls living in Sanguinem admitted that his looks were very pleasing.

When he noticed the young blonde hesitating to answer, Lacus continued.

"Yuichiro may be handsome now, but what about in another forty, fifty years? Do you think you'll be happy watching him age by your side knowing you yourself will never be able to age with him? And what if he doesn't love you the way you love him? What then?"

Mikaela wanted to argue but she knew Lacus was right. Yuichiro was a human and she was a vampire. They may look the same age now but it wouldn't be long before he looked old enough to be her father and then, grandfather. Worse still, she would outlive him eventually, there was no denying that. Yuichiro would inevitably grow old but Lacus would continue to stay young and handsome for as long as he lived. Logically, it wouldn't make sense for Mika to choose the human Yuichiro over her eternally youthful vampire bodyguard. At ninety-five years of age, Lacus was considered young for a vampire, even though he was technically old enough to be her great-grandfather; the purple-haired vampire would have been a withered ancient if he was still human but having been turned when he was twenty-three, he will always look like so.

"No human man will ever be able to match you, Lacus Welt. But even so, I have already given my heart away. Please forgive me…"

Upon hearing those words, the purple-haired vampire knew he was defeated. If he truly loved Mikaela, he would allow her to be with whomever made her happy. Even if it would inevitably end in tragedy. But if that was the only way she would learn, so be it.

"I see… if that is how you truly feel, I won't stop you from going to him. But please allow me just one night in your arms, even if you don't love me…"

Mikaela found her heart filled with pity for the vampire who had protected her with his life for the last four years, and out of love, not just duty. She had never meant to hurt him and decided that if she couldn't give him her heart, she would give him her body, if only for a single night. Had Mika still been a virgin, she would have refused because she wanted her first time to be with Yuichiro, but since she was no longer pure, she figured it wouldn't matter if one more man had her who wasn't the boy she truly loved but Lacus would be the last one, Mika swore it.

And so, Mikaela allowed Lacus to undress her and take her to bed, indulging his desire as much as he wanted. No, she did not fight him, resist him but neither did she return his kisses, his caresses. That was something the blonde would only do for Yuichiro Hyakuya whom she had her heart set upon and for whom she was willing to risk it for.

In that, Mikaela Hyakuya was truly a tragic swordmaiden.

 **A/N: Ok, my first genderbent Mika fic! I've been itching to write a Yuu and female Mika fic for a while and will write one soon but I've also decided I like to have a prequel to that with a Lacus and female Mika fic as well** **I now I've made Lacus turn out to be a totally different person than he is in the canon story but this is an AU-ish, alternate storyline and I hope my readers will like what I came up with. I greatly appreciate any reviews and suggestions, so long as they are not rude flames lol!**


	2. What I Have Given You

****Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This story is an alternate version of episode 1, season 2 of the anime and chapter 16 of the manga. Enjoy and please review!****

 ** **What I Have Given You****

 ** **November 8, 2020****

 ** **Japanese Imperial Demon Army Headquarters, Shinjuku Branch Library****

Yuichiro Hyakuya sighed in frustration as she set down the book she was reading and picked up the cup of hot chocolate on the table next to it before taking a sip. Ever since she was released from the hospital, the ravenette had been spending nearly all her free time at the JIDA headquarters library studying books on vampires, trying to find out everything she could about the monsters that were now at war with humanity for control of the world.

Fortunately, the library had information about vampires in abundance and as Yuichiro skimmed through book after book, she was surprised to learn many things about the bloodsuckers she so hated as a child that she never knew before.

Things such as how they were unaffected by garlic, holy water, and crosses like the ancient legends claimed though they truly did have a strong aversion to sunlight. Young and weak vampires would be killed instantly if they ventured out into the sun unprotected while older and stronger ones could survive but would suffer immensely.

Other interesting new things Yuichiro learned was how they could not reproduce like humans, would always look the same age as when they were turned, and how their hair would always remain the same length as well. The last detail was most peculiar since it did explain why older vampires such as Krul Tepes, Ferid Bathory, and Crowley Eusford did not, or more accurately, could not sport modern hairstyles, especially if they were born and turned during times when it was fashionable for men and women to have much longer hair than they did today. *****1*****

Although Yuichiro grew to like long hair, she couldn't imagine not being able to cut and keep her hair short if she wanted and thought the idea of a vampire's hair taking only minutes to grow back to its original length instead of months like a human's, was creepy. And crazy as it sounds, she actually found herself pitying any vampire who might have had a bad haircut before being turned since it meant that they would be stuck with a crappy hairdo for all eternity. The thought made her laugh for a moment before she became serious again. As interesting as this new information was, none of the books Yuu had read in the library so far had the answer she actually sought: how to make her orphanage brother, Mikaela Hyakuya, human again.

As she thought of Mika, Yuu smiled sadly. After leaving him behind in Sanguinem to save herself all those years ago, she had been wracked with guilt as she often thought about what he would be like if he had survived and grown as she had. Never did Yuichiro think she would find the answer to her question when she ran her sword though the blond young man who tried to kill Guren during the Battle of Shinjuku.

Even though she had not seen Mikaela in years, Yuichiro recognized him almost instantly the moment she got a good look at his face up close but he was not the boy she remembered. The last time Yuu saw her orphanage brother, he was bleeding profusely from a gaping hole in his chest inflicted by their benefactor and his right arm had been sliced clean off his torso, injuries that would have been impossible for a human to survive. Yet the young man before her looked very much alive, not to mention in perfect physical condition with two working arms as well as a pair of sharp fangs poking out from his lips.

Yuichiro tried to brush it off as a figment of her imagination, a hallucination caused by the stress of battle but when Mikaela tried to kidnap her while claiming that she was being used by the "humans", she finally realized the terrifying truth.

Her blond orphanage brother was no longer human, but a vampire himself, one of the very creatures she hated with all her being since it was a vampire who destroyed everything she held dear before she was rescued and taken in by Guren Ichinose.

"So here you are again. I'd thought I find you here when you were nowhere to be seen in the women's dormitory."

Startled, Yuichiro looked up from her seat to see her squad leader, who was like the annoying little sister she never wanted, standing before her.

"Shinoa, I didn't hear you come in. How long were you standing there?"

"Oh, like about five minutes or so. You were so preoccupied with what you were reading that you didn't even notice me come in."

Annoyed that the other girl had been practically spying on her, Yuichiro gave her a none-too-pleased look.

"What do you want, Shinoa? Can't you see I'm busy now? If it's not important, go away, please."

Shinoa laughed as if she found the other girl's demand amusing rather than insulting.

"Now, now, that's no way to speak to your squad leader. I've come to check up on you and as I do recall, your guardian said that you are not to be up and about until you've completely recovered from your injuries."

Yuichiro snorted. "In case you and Guren haven't noticed, I'm not a fragile little girl and you know as well as I do that our demon weapons speed up our natural healing and regenerative abilities; I'm perfectly fine now."

"Well, that's for the doctor to decide, not you," the purple-haired girl said as she refrained from mentioning the true cause of Yuichiro's coma and inability to remember almost anything she did during the Battle of Shinjuku. When Shinoa saw Yuichiro regard her with suspicion, she decided to change the subject.

"Anyway, what are you reading? Something hot and steamy?" Shinoa teased with a wink as she stepped closer and quickly snatched the book Yuichiro was reading from the table before opening it to the part where she had left her bookmark. And what Shinoa saw was not an erotic story like she expected, but a section on human-vampire conversion which quickly wiped the teasing smile off her face as she looked back to her friend. Although Yuu did not say so, Shinoa knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Yuu… have you been in here all this time trying to find a way to make Mika human again? If that's the case, I might have some helpful information; do you want to hear it?"

As soon as she heard that, Yuichiro's eyes lit up. "Really? In that case, tell me what you know!"

Shinoa laughed when she heard excitement in the other girl's voice. "Aww, you can be so cute and obedient when you want something!"

Yuichiro scowled. "Stop playing around, Shinoa!" she snapped and to her surprise, her squad leader did just that which stunned her since it was so rare for Shinoa to do anything she asked of her unless it was something serious.

Returning her face to a neutral expression, the purple-haired girl continued. "First of all, it's rare that a human becomes a vampire; the bloodsuckers like to keep their ranks tight and their numbers small. More importantly, within vampire society, the nobles are the only ones with the authority to turn a human."

Yuichiro was startled at the revelation. "You mean it wasn't by chance that Mika was turned? He was chosen?"

As she asked this, the ravenette recalled the painful expression on her brother's face when she asked him if he was no longer human. Yuichiro knew Mikaela hated vampires as much as she did and would never willingly allow himself to be turned into one.

Unless it was the only way he could live on and search for her.

Shinoa seemed to have sense her thoughts. "Do you know a noble who might have picked him?"

Yuichiro nodded as her thoughts wandered back to Ferid Bathory. "I think I do. At first, I thought Mika was turned by force, but now I'm not so sure. He must have had a good reason if he allowed himself to be turned."

Although Yuu neglected to mention what that reason was, both she and Shinoa already knew.

"That wouldn't surprise me at all," Shinoa said. "In fact, __very__ few humans, if any, would ever __want__ to become a vampire. Unlike us, they cannot eat or drink anything but blood and are constantly thirsty for it. They cannot enjoy sunlight or go outside during the day without sun protection, produce children, or grow and change over time."

"I know."

"Did you also know that humans who were turned unwillingly are usually those unfortunate enough to capture a vampire's fancy? When a vampire desires a human, they will pursue that human relentlessly to the point of obsession."

"But didn't you say that vampire law allows only nobles to turn humans?"

"Yes, but you should also know that vampires break laws just as much as we do if they want something bad enough. Yes, only nobles are __permitted__ to turn humans and only for the purpose of replacing their fallen soldiers. But this law has been broken more often than not when a vampire falls in love with a human and cannot bear to lose that human to age and death. If the human feels the same way for the vampire who wants them, they may allow themselves to be changed willingly but most do not and those turned unwillingly grow to hate their creators as well as humans for we remind them of what they've lost."

As shocking as Shinoa's revelation sounded, it actually made sense once Yuichiro really thought about it. She had always wondered why the vampires back in Sanguinem treated humans with such contempt and always thought it was because they believed themselves superior and that humans were nothing more than animals that exist only to feed and serve them. But Shinoa's explanation made Yuu realize the reason many vampires hate humans was probably because they secretly envied them. Did Mikaela also feel the same way?

"What about the common vampire soldiers? How are they chosen?"

"They are turned by nobles who search battlefields during times of war for dying human soldiers abandoned by their comrades and superiors. Those vampires also grow to hate us as well because of the betrayal they suffered at the hands of their fellow humans."

When she noticed Yuichiro lapse into silence as if trying to contemplate what she had just heard, Shinoa continued. "You know, it's our duty to destroy vampires—all of them."

The other girl shook her head. "No, not him. All this time, I thought Mika was dead but now that I know he's alive, you must tell me how I can make him human again."

Shinoa shook her head sadly. "Unfortunately, there is currently no known way to reverse vampirism and to my knowledge, no vampire has ever been able to become human again. Believe it or not, it's actually army policy to kill any soldier who has been turned by the enemy. My brothers refer to them as 'mercy killings', the notion that we're actually doing those soldiers a favor. Personally, I think it's a load of crap; the higher-ups simply don't want to exert time, effort, and resources to find a cure for vampirism." *****2*****

"Oh… I see…"

Sensing the other girl's disappointment, Shinoa quickly tried to lift her spirits for she did not want Yuichiro to lose hope. "However, that doesn't mean there __isn't__ a way for a vampire to become human again. I believe that the way to change Mika back does exist somewhere; we just have to find it."

Upon hearing that, the ravenette smiled. Her squad leader might be an annoying pain in the ass sometimes, but Yuu had to admit that Shinoa had a talent for giving others hope.

As if reading her thoughts, Shinoa reached for the gold heart-shaped locket Yuichiro wore around her neck, taking the delicate piece between her fingers.

"I've never seen you look so hopeful, Yuu. It's almost as if you've found a whole new reason to live. Tell me, is this pretty piece a gift from your handsome prince?"

Knowing that Shinoa meant Mikaela, Yuichiro blushed. "Yes… he gave it to me as a birthday gift when I turned twelve."

"It's real gold, isn't it? And I bet the ruby in the center is real too! The craftsmanship is exquisite; how on earth was Mika able to get something like this in Sanguinem?"

"Well… he bought it."

"How? This locket must have cost a fortune! And no offense, but I doubt livestock children have that kind of money."

"They don't. And Mika didn't. He bought this from our vampire benefactor and not with money, but his blood."

"Oh…" Shinoa exclaimed as she let go of the locket.

Yuichiro closed her eyes as she clutched the trinket tightly in her fist to her heart.

"I treasure this locket very much, not because it's real gold but because it came from Mikaela, because he risked his life for it. The noble he bought it from was very wealthy and the more valuable his gifts and favors were, the more blood he expected in payment. And he almost sucked Mika dry for this locket."

Shinoa took in a sharp breath upon hearing Yuichiro's confession. Since they had met, the other girl had always been extremely secretive about her past and to hear Yuu reveal something so personal was surprising indeed; it made Shinoa feel that her comrade was finally starting to trust her.

"Yuichiro… you don't really think of Mikaela as a brother, do you?" she asked curiously.

The ravenette blushed. "Well, I…" Yuu shifted uncomfortably in her seat, unsure of how to answer her squad leader when they both heard a voice over the library intercom.

 ** **"**** ** _ _ **Special Private Yuichiro Hyakuya, report to the first office immediately."**__**

"Hmm? I wonder what Guren wants now?" Yuu asked curiously, her discomfort completely forgotten.

Shinoa shook her head. "No, it's probably the Hiragi family who summoned you."

Yuichiro raised an eyebrow "The Hiragis? You mean the leaders of the Demon Army that got Japan back on her feet after the world went to crap?"

Shinoa nodded. "You really shouldn't keep them waiting. Go now…"

Yuichiro sighed and got up from her seat. As she was about to walk out the door, a thought came to her. Turning to her squad leader, she asked.

"Wait a minute, Shinoa, isn't Hiragi your last name? And Shinya's too?"

As if in answer, Shinoa laughed. "Ah, so you've finally figured out my secret! Took you long enough! I'm not just a sergeant, I'm basically royalty!" she joked before becoming serious again. "Anyway, if you want me to be honest, my father and brothers can be extremely intense and judgmental people, so be careful, ok?"

Yuichiro raised a brow at her squad leader's comment. Was Shinoa actually implying that her own blood relatives are wolves in sheep's clothing? If she had time, Yuu would have asked but knowing that it would be unwise to keep the Hiragi top dogs waiting, she merely nodded her head in acknowledgment and left the library without another word.

 ** **SSSSSS****

After leaving the library, Yuichiro was about to pass the courtyard of the JIDA Shinjuku branch headquarters to get to the first office when she suddenly heard a voice from behind her.

"What's the rush, Yuu? Where do you think you're going so early in the morning?"

Startled, Yuichiro gasped softly before turning around and saw Guren standing right behind her. Like herself, he was clad in a new JIDA uniform since his previous one had been torn up during the Battle of Shinjuku. Guren's unexpected appearance out of nowhere made Yuu realize she had been in such a hurry to get to her destination that she failed to even notice him.

"Guren? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be resting? From what I saw and heard, you were banged up pretty good back on the field."

As soon as he knew he had her full attention, Guren smirked. "I thank you for your concern, Yuu, but I am not so weak that I would require a whole week to recover like yourself. Anyway, I'd like to know why you're in such a hurry to meet the Hiragis?"

Yuichiro scowled. As used as she was to her guardian's snide comments, she was not in the mood to hear them now.

"What, did you expect me to just ignore them?" she demanded.

Instead of answering her question, Guren slowly approached her and for some reason, Yuichiro felt the slight urge to back away but held her ground. As soon as he was close enough, the older man leaned forward slightly and placed an arm behind her back. Yuichiro felt goosebumps rising on her skin when Guren curved his fingers slightly and slowly raked his nails down her back in a diagonal pattern, right over the scars from the wounds Ferid Bathory inflicted upon her after she had managed to shoot him before finally escaping the vampire city for good. Her guardian's unexpected touch made Yuichiro nervous how he knew exactly where they were, even under her uniform despite never seeing the scars himself, only hearing about them from Sayuri and Shigure.

"Do you remember the night you ran away from Sanguinem with nothing more than those shoddy clothes on your back and that little locket you're so fond of? What do you think would have happened if I had not been there? How long do you think you would have lasted outside the city by yourself with those painful injuries and no access to food and water? A few days? A week at most? Starvation and illness are very slow and painful ways to die, Yuu. If the cold did not claim your life, then hunger or infection from those nasty cuts on your back would have sooner or later. And that's assuming some rogue vampire didn't smell the blood and hunt you down like an animal first."

Yuichiro shuddered as images of that horrible night flashed through her mind again, making her recall the terrible pain of Ferid's razor-sharp talons cutting into her back like knives. She didn't need to be told or reminded of what her fate might have been if Guren, Sayuri, and Shigure had not been there to save her when they did.

Knowing that he had Yuichiro right where he wanted her, Guren smugly continued.

"I see you still remember that night vividly. I do too. I took you into my home, had my retainers treat your injures, and fed and sheltered you ever since. I also taught you the way of the sword so that the Demon Army would accept and give you a shot at getting your revenge against the vampires. After all this time, don't you think you should repay me for my generosity?"

Not knowing what the older man was getting at, Yuichiro thought it best to remain cool and calm before answering.

"What do you mean, sir? Is my performance on the battlefield not to your satisfaction? I'd give my life for any of my comrades, even Mitsuba."

To this, Guren laughed softly. "I know you would, Yuu; I'm not questioning your bravery. What I want to know is where your loyalties lie."

"My loyalties?"

Annoyed that his ward was playing dumb with him Guren removed his arm from her back and squeezed her shoulders tightly until he can see the discomfort showing on Yuichiro's face despite her best attempts to hide it.

"Never forget that __I__ was the one who took you in after you escaped from Sanguinem! Had I not found you, you would have stood __no__ chance at survival outside the city!" he hissed.

Yuichiro stared at Guren. Why was he telling her this now? She was about to ask but after seeing his intense expression, the ravenette thought better of it and remained silent as she allowed him to continue.

" _ _I__ was the one who taught you how to fight and protected you to this very day! From your education, to the clothes you wear, the food you eat, to the very bed you sleep in, all of this, I have given you, __not__ the Hiragis, so don't you dare go wagging your tail to them!"

Yuichiro was startled at Guren's harsh words, her breath hitched in her throat as realization dawned upon her. For the first time since she met him, Guren was actually __afraid__ —afraid of losing her loyalty. And to the people he despised most which was ironic, considering how he showed no fear in even the bloodiest of battles.

"Is __that__ what this is about? You have some sort of grudge against the Hiragis? Well, if that's the case, then you have nothing to worry about. If there's something you should know about me by now is that I never betray my comrades."

For a moment, Guren forgot his displeasure and actually smiled. "Maybe. But you're wrong about one thing, Yuu: I am not your comrade."

"Oh?"

"I am your guardian, your superior, surrogate father or big brother, however you like to call me, but I am not your friend: I am your owner."

Yuichiro sighed sadly as she looked away from her guardian. She and Guren might have bickered constantly about everything else but this was the one thing she could not argue with him on.

"So is that all I am to you?" she asked bitterly. "A pet to be kept on a leash?"

Seeing that he might have gone a little too far with his harsh words, Guren felt a twinge of guilt and loosened his grip on her shoulders.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "That was completely uncalled for. I guess what I really wanted to tell you is not to trust the Hiragis so easily, especially Kureto. I just don't want to see you get hurt."

Yuichiro smiled. "It's all right. Shinoa pretty much said the same thing."

Guren's expression softened as his gaze wandered to the gold heart-shaped locket Yuichiro wore around her neck. He knew it was her only true and most valuable possession asides from her demon sword, Asuramaru, and that it was a gift from her orphanage brother, the blond vampire who almost killed him in Shinjuku. Guren never liked that little trinket but at the same time, he could not bring himself to order that Yuichiro be rid of it knowing how much it meant to her.

"I thought she might say that," he agreed. "But it's not just the Hiragis you should be concerned with."

"What do you mean?"

"I know you've also been thinking about that boy…"

"You mean Mika?"

"I know this isn't what you want to hear, but its best that you forget about Mikaela. He is no longer your brother; he's just another vampire." *****3*****

Yuichiro looked about to make a sharp retort to her guardian's callous words but he quickly cut her off.

"I'm telling you this for your own good, Yuu; you'll never be able to exterminate all the vampires like you wanted if you have an emotional attachment to even one of them, and you know I'm right."

Yuichiro fell silent. Despite their constant bickering, she had never failed to obey her guardian's orders but forgetting Mika was the one thing she could not do.

"Guren, you know you can't just order someone to forget their feelings…"

In response, the older man, gently ran his hands down her arms as he leaned forward and whispered into her ear.

"I know. But it's not __my__ feelings I'm trying to protect, it's __yours__. You belong to humanity and… you belong to me. Never forget that, Yuichiro Hyakuya."

Yuichiro could not help but blush at Guren's possessiveness. Not knowing how else to respond, she simply said:

"I know..."

Guren smiled before pressing a gentle, chaste kiss to the corner of her mouth. "Good girl. Now go. And remember what I've told you."

Yuichiro nodded. "Yes Guren," she said simply before running off and leaving him alone with his thoughts.

 ** **Footnotes:****

 ** **1\. In the Anne Rice novels, a vampire's hair will always remain the same length as when they were turned, meaning that if they had short hair, it will never grow any longer and if they had long hair, it will grow back to its original length very quickly, usually within 24 hours. In the movie version of "Interview with the Vampire", the hair grows back within seconds. From what I've seen of the latest OnS manga chapters, Ferid was completely bald after his sunlight torture but his hair grew back to shoulder length within minutes.****

 ** **2\. In canon, the Demon Army will kill their own soldiers before letting them get captured alive by the vampires. Shinya mentions that doing so spares such soldiers the pain of being tortured but most likely, it's more to protect the secrets of Demon Army than any real concern for them. Although not mentioned explicitly in the LNs or manga, the Demon Army is also likely to kill their own soldiers if they've been converted to vampirism too.****

 ** **3\. In canon, Guren fears losing male!Yuu's loyalty to the Hiragis. In my AU, he feels threatened by the Hiragis AND Mika. After realizing that Mika is alive and that he now has competition for fem!Yuu's loyalty and affections, Guren starts to become more possessive and manipulative to ensure that she remains loyal to him.****


	3. A Daughter's Plea

****Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This is an alternate version of chapter 22 of the manga and episode 16 of the anime where Mika confronts and questions Krul about her intentions with Yuu.****

 ** **A Daughter's Plea****

Mikaela Hyakuya clutched the front of her vampire guard uniform as she took a deep breath, trying to resist the urge to let herself slide to the ground where she was leaning against a building in downtown Sanguinem. She had yet another unpleasant encounter with her ex-benefactor just moments before when he tried for the umpteenth time to tempt her into drinking human blood by swiping a livestock child off the street and piercing the skin of his neck slightly to make the boy bleed with his razor-sharp vampire talons. It was times like these that the blonde really wished she was strong enough to carry out her threat of killing Ferid; she may no longer have to share his bed but that still didn't stop the bastard from teasing her relentlessly about denying her thirst for blood. Mika just knew that she would be thanked by humans and vampires alike if she actually could and did kill Ferid. That was how unpopular the seventh progenitor was.

Mika often heard Krul say that Ferid was a thorn in her side but could not kill him since that would raise too many uncomfortable questions from the progenitor council that she would not have been able to answer without arousing a great deal of suspicion. But for the moment, Ferid Bathory was not her greatest problem; what she desperately needed right now was to relieve the ache in her throat that was becoming more insufferable by the second. As soon as the blonde regained her composure, she quickly made her way to Queen Krul's palace, ignoring the curious glances of the humans and vampires she rushed past.

As soon as Mika arrived at the royal audience hall, she found her dame sitting on her throne, holding a glass vial half-filled with her blood in one hand while letting her blood drip from an open cut in her wrist in the other. As soon as the queen saw her fledgling, she smiled.

"Oh, Mika, you're here! I was just getting some blood ready..."

Krul never got to finish her sentence before Mika grabbed her and bit her in the neck, relaxing only slightly when she finally got some relief from the terrible ache in her throat. Even though she knew she could easily break her fledgling's hold, Krul remained completely unresisting until Mikaela finally had her fill.

Laughing as she embraced her adopted daughter, the queen asked "Were you really that thirsty? There, there, drink your fill, my pet" she cooed in the most soothing tone she could muster.

When the young blonde finally realized what she had just done, she quickly released her dame and pushed her away.

"I'm so sorry, Your Majesty!" she apologized, fully expecting the queen to be angry and berate her for her insolence. But to her surprise, Krul simply smiled and said:

"It's alright, we all get a little ravenous when we haven't had enough blood."

Relieved that Krul was not angry, Mikaela quickly changed the subject "I'm sorry for asking, but could you give me a little extra today?"

"Of course, my dear, I can give you as much as you need. Or want."

"Thank you..." Mikaela said as she tried to resist letting out a breath of relief. As soon as she noticed Krul's smile become a frown, the blond asked. "What's wrong?"

"Did you fight with Ferid again?"

Mika was startled at the sudden question. "W...what makes you think that, Your Majesty?"

As if in answer, Krul approached Mika and gently placed her hands on the blonde's face. When her fledgling was first brought to her as a human child, Mika barely stood to her chin. Now, the young woman towered over her by almost half a foot.

"I am the one who made you what you are, Mika. As your dame, I can sense your thoughts and feelings even if I cannot read your mind. And I am guessing you recently had yet another unpleasant confrontation with Ferid, am I right?"

For a moment, Mika hesitated to answer. It was eerie to the young blonde how Krul had an uncanny way of knowing just about everything that concerned her and she wondered if it was truly because of the close bond shared by vampire parents and their fledglings that seem to run even deeper than that of human parents and their children. At times, Mikaela felt that Krul knew her even better than her own birth parents did; she could never lie to her vampire mother and nodded.

"Yes... but its nothing worth mentioning. Ferid was just up to his usual antics."

"Like telling you to drink human blood?"

Mika flinched slightly before answering. "Yes. But it's nothing you need concern yourself with, really."

Krul shook her head sadly. "I am sorry, Mikaela, but I'm afraid he's right this time. You won't last forever on my blood alone; sooner or later, you'll have to drink from a human. There is no avoiding it if you don't want to become a mindless demon."

"I understand. But for now, I'll be fine; you need not worry about me, Your Majesty."

The queen nodded as she released Mika's face and walked back to her throne. "Very well. In any case, I would like a full report on the attack on Shinjuku. I want to hear it from you because I obviously do not trust Ferid."

Instead of answering right away, Mika gave a question of her own. "About that..." she began "I think you owe __me__ an explanation first."

Krul raised a brow. This was the first time Mika had ever questioned her and normally, the queen did not tolerate her subjects questioning her decisions but she always made an exception for her adopted daughter.

"Are you talking about the progenitor council?"

"Yes. You told me that the people who ran the Hyakuya Orphanage were using me, Yuichiro and the other kids as guinea pigs in their spell-craft experiments and that you saved us."

"Yes, that is true, Mika. I have not lied to you about that."

"No, you have not, but you did leave something out; according to the council, you were supposed to kill us. So why did you spare us, hiding us in Sanguinem as livestock? Why would you put yourself at risk for us? What's in it for you?"

The queen was silent for a moment before answering "That... is something you do not need to know, Mikaela. In fact, it's better for you if you don't."

The blonde gritted her teeth. Despite the fact that Krul implied that she was protecting her by withholding the knowledge she sought, Mika grew angry but forced herself to remain calm. Krul Tepes was her dame as well as a high-ranking progenitor and the blonde knew that she could not force the queen to do or reveal anything against her will and that it would be unwise for her to try. The best Mika could do was politely request the information she desired. After taking a moment to think about it, she took a deep breath and began, hoping her choice of words would make Krul reconsider her decision.

"Queen Krul... mother... please. Even though you forced me to become a vampire against my will, I still served you loyally these past four years and I have never once disobeyed your orders or questioned your decisions until now. Is it too much to ask that you grant me this one answer, this one favor, in return?"

Upon hearing Mika's plea, Krul's expression softened. "That's the first time I've ever heard you call me 'mother', Mikaela. Very well, then. If its that important to you, I will tell you why I spared you as well as Yuichiro and the other Hyakuya orphans."

After taking a quick glance around to make sure no one was within sight or earshot, Krul walked over to Mika and whispered her secret.

The blonde almost stumbled over. "Are you serious?" she exclaimed.

The queen nodded as she gently took Mika's face in her hand, her thumb gently brushing over the young blonde's soft rosy lips.

"Next month, we're attacking the humans again and we won't be holding back; they are too dangerous a threat to take lightly, especially with Yuichiro in their hands. If abused, his power will cause a disaster the likes of which the world has never seen and it will be far worse than the epidemic of eight years ago. To prevent that, I'm giving you a secret mission: you will conveniently become 'missing in action' when the attack begins. Use this opportunity to find Yuichiro and bring him to me. I will take care of the rest."

Mika swallowed nervously. Although the blonde did not relish the idea of bringing Yuu back to the city where he nearly got killed trying to escape years ago, she knew she had to comply or at least pretend to comply with her dame's order because this was likely the last chance she was ever going to get to find her adopted brother. And as much as she hated to admit it, Yuu was probably better off with her and Krul than the humans anyway; he couldn't stay with the JIDA any more than he could be allowed to fall into the hands of the other vampire progenitors.

"Yes, mother. As you command."

Krul smiled as she leaned over and gently placed a kiss on Mika's forehead. As her adopted daughter and favorite swordmaiden, Mikaela Hyakuya was the queen's pride and joy. The blonde's dazzling beauty have piqued the interest of male humans and vampires alike and to protect her identity as a seraph, Krul had forbidden the common vampires in Sanguinem from drinking Mika's blood on the pain of death.

"I love you like you were my own daughter, Mikaela. I understand why you want to save Yuichiro so badly but I must warn you that with things the way they are now, your love for him will only bring you pain. I won't lie to you: children who bear the seraph gene are destined to live tragic lives. Many will die tragic deaths as well. And that's __if__ they're lucky. The unlucky ones, if their genes become permanently active, become angelic monstrosities that live on forever."

Mika gasped at this horrifying revelation. "Is that Yuu-chan's fate? Is there anyway to prevent it?"

"There are only two ways to save him from that fate: kill him or turn him. One or the other."

"Is there no other way?"

"Not that I know of. I'm sorry, Mika. Now that you know this, do you still want to go to him?"

The blonde was silent for a moment. Every word Krul said was likely true but even so, Mika knew the answer she must give.

"Yes."

 ** **A/N: Ok, I'm going to end this snippit here. As saga is an ongoing project, I will continue to update it as long as I keep getting ideas. I welcome suggestions and requests from my readers as well as appreciate reviews. See you next chapter! ;)****


	4. Trust and Betrayal

****Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This is an alternate version of chapter 40 of the manga and episode 24 of the anime where Yuu finally reunites with Guren and discovers that there is something completely different and wrong with him. On another note, I apologize if my fight scenes are less than spectacular since I'm not particularly good at writing them but I'm still learning. Anyway, enjoy and please review!****

 ** **Trust and Betrayal****

 _ _We're definitely going through this without anyone else dying!__ Yuichiro thought as she, along with Mika and the rest of Shinoa's squad, fought their way past soldiers of both the human and vampire armies who were under orders to capture her.

So consumed was she with the thought of escaping the chaos that the ravenette failed to notice that she was starting to run too far ahead of her friends and away from their protection. However, Kimizuki immediately notices and shouts at her to slow down but not before Yuichiro notices a familiar figure in the distance and grinds to a stop. At first, the ravenette thought it was her imagination but upon closer inspection, she saw that the person standing before her was the very one she had been searching for since they were forced to part days earlier after his capture by Crowley Eusford and her foiled attempt to rescue him.

"Guren?" Yuichiro asked, bewildered.

Her handsome guardian and mentor smiled as if he had been standing there, waiting for her all along. "Yuichiro... I'm so glad to see you're safe! What are you just standing there for? Aren't you going to give me a hug?"

Under normal circumstances, the ravenette might have jumped into his arms but this time, Yuu noticed that something was a little off about Guren; his smile seemed distorted and a little sinister, nothing like the warm smile she was used to seeing him give her when praising her for a job well done. Not only that, his eyes had red rims around the violet irises that seemed to glow with an eerie light. When he noticed that his ward had not made any attempt to move, the lieutenant colonel opened his arms and made a beckoning gesture.

"What's wrong, Yuichiro? Aren't you glad to see me? You've been looking for me all this time and now here I am. So be a good girl and come here..." he cooed.

Although every instinct she had screamed at her to stay away, Yuichiro found herself slowly moving forward as she tried to remind herself that this was Guren Ichinose, the man who rescued and took her under his wing after she had escaped vampire captivity in Sanguinem almost five years ago. But even so, the ravenette could still sense that something was not right and could not shake the feeling that she might be walking into a trap.

As he saw her approach, Guren's smile grew wider. "Yes! Come closer, Yuu!" he urged.

The older man's tone finally made Yuu stop in her tracks and reconsider her decision to grant his request which was starting to sound more like an order. When he noticed her taking a step back, the lieutenant colonel quickly withdrew his sword and charged forward with a speed that would have been impossible for an ordinary human. Before Yuichiro could make a run for it, he quickly grabbed her by the shoulder and forced her to turn around. As soon as Guren had his ward secure against his chest with one arm, the older man quickly raised his sword with the other and pressed the blade against her throat.

"Don't move" he hissed into her ear.

"What do you think you're doing, Guren!?" Yuichiro cried, shocked at what Guren had just done.

Apparently, she wasn't the only one; Mika and Shinoa, as well as the rest of her squad were shocked as well, their superior officer's unexpected action making them freeze in their tracks, not daring to do anything out of fear that he would hurt Yuu.

"Lieutenant colonel, what is the meaning of this!?" Shinoa demanded as she made a gesture with her arm for her squad to stay back.

Instead of answering, Guren pressed his sword's blade against Yuu's throat slightly, inserting just enough pressure to nick her alabaster skin and make her bleed a little. Mikaela gritted his teeth when he heard his adoptive sister wince in pain and tightened his grip on his sword when he saw Yuu's blood trickle down her throat to stain the collar of her uniform.

"Let her go, human!" he snarled.

Guren smirked as he tightened his hold on Yuichiro. "Not a chance, vampire, she's coming with me. I do appreciate you bringing her here but as you can see, your assistance is no longer required."

"Everyone, be careful; the lieutenant colonel is possessed!" Shinoa warned when she finally realized what was going on. The Hiragi girl felt stupid for not realizing it sooner: her superior officer was possessed by the demon bound to his sword, Shinoa's own late elder sister, Mahiru Hiragi. Mikaela, on the other hand, could care less and ignored Shinoa's warning. Before anyone could stop him, Mika charged forward, intending to take Yuu back by force, something Guren easily saw it coming and quickly flung his ward behind him, making sure she was beyond the reach of Mikaela and the rest of Shinoa's squad before turning around and meeting the blond vampire's sword with his own.

When their blades met, Guren easily held his ground which startled Mika because he was sure he put more than enough force behind his attack to knock over an ordinary man. Not only that, the lieutenant colonel also grabbed Mika's left wrist with his free hand and pulled the vampire to him with ease.

"Give it up, vampire" Guren hissed in Mika's ear as soon as he was close enough. "Yuichiro is mine. She belongs to __me.__ "

The blond vampire gritted his teeth as he struggled to break free of the older man's iron hold. "Never!" he snarled. "Over my dead body!"

Guren laughed as if that was the funniest thing he ever heard. "As you wish!" he said gleefully as he released Mika and prepared to attack again.

As they watched the blond vampire and demon-possessed lieutenant colonel clash swords, Shinoa and the rest of her squad found themselves at a total loss as to what to do. The Hiragi girl wanted to use the distraction Mikaela provided to rescue Yuichiro but found that it was impossible to reach her from the squad's current position without going through the two men fighting in front of them first. And even though Mikaela was now a complete vampire with the blood of third progenitor, Krul Tepes, in his veins, Guren was the more experienced fighter and his enhanced demonic strength made him more than capable of fighting the blond on equal terms. And he had no intention of ever letting Mika take Yuu back.

Yuichiro groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. The first thing the ravenette noticed when she came to was how her left hip ached terribly and wondered how it came to be when she suddenly remembered how her guardian had taken her hostage against Mikaela, Shinoa, and the rest of her friends after she foolishly obeyed his request to come to him and by the time she realized something was wrong, it was too late. Sitting up, Yuichiro gasped when she saw the surreal scene before her:

Guren Ichinose and Mikaela Hyakuya, the two men she cared about most in the world, were fighting. And it looked like they intend to fight to the death.

"Guren! Mika! Please stop it!" Yuichiro cried.

As soon as she opened her mouth and called to her guardian and adopted brother, she immediately wished she hadn't for Yuu's voice distracted Mika for a moment and that was long enough for Guren to break through his defenses and plunge his sword into the vampire's chest, just as Mika had done to him when they fought for the first time in Shinjuku.

"MIKA!" Yuu screamed, forgetting everything else that was going on around them and quickly got up. She had to stop Guren before he activated the curse on his demon sword and killed her brother.

Knowing what his sister intended to do, Mika cried out for her to stop. "Yuu-chan, no!"

As soon as he heard Mika call out to Yuu, Guren quickly dislodged his sword from the vampire's chest and spun around to face his ward who had just unsheathed her own sword, Asuramaru, and assumed a fighting stance as if ready to challenge him.

"I am very sorry, Guren, but I cannot let you harm Mikaela" Yuichiro said in the most calm voice she could muster. Upon seeing his ward take the stance that himself had taught her, Guren grinned and laughed as if he found her challenge amusing rather than intimidating.

"Do you really think you could beat me, Yuichiro? __I__ was the one who taught you everything you know about sword fighting!"

The ravenette shook her head. "Not everything", she said defiantly.

Even though she tried to sound confident, everyone present could tell that Yuichiro was really frightened. This was not like the times she and her guardian had sparred when he was teaching her the way of the sword. She was seriously ready to fight him to the death to protect the boy she loved.

As if reading her mind, Guren asked "Can you do it, Yuichiro? Can you really bring yourself to kill me?"

For a moment, the ravenette thought she saw a hint of sadness in her guardian's violet eyes, eyes that looked as if they could see into her soul through her eyes. Guren knew his ward well, knew that even if she could fight him, she would not be able to kill him. Despite their shaky history together and the fact that he admitted he saved her because he desired her powers, Yuichiro still cared about him and they both knew it.

When he saw her hesitating to answer, the lieutenant colonel lowered his sword and offered her his hand. "Come with me, Yuichiro", he said gently. "If you obey, I will not harm Mika and we won't have to fight."

Before Yuichiro could answer, she heard Shinoa calling out to her. "No, don't listen to him, Yuu! Guren is not himself; he's possessed by his demon, possessed by my sister! You can't trust him as he is now!"

As soon as she heard her squad leader's warning, the ravenette resumed her stance. Knowing that his ward will not yield to him after what she had just heard, Guren decided that he would have to take her by force after all. Forgetting Mikaela, the lieutenant colonel raised his sword again as if to accept Yuichiro's challenge when he heard Kureto Hiragi's voice calling out to him.

"Guren, it's starting!"

Forgetting his ward for the moment, the lieutenant colonel raised his sword to the sky, the demon markings appearing on his skin as he prepared to do his cousin's bidding, ordering his sword to drink the blood of the surrounding humans, vampires, and demons alike. Yuu, Mika, and the rest of Shinoa's squad as well as soldiers from both the human and vampire armies watched in awe and horror as chains emerged from the large mysterious crate Kureto had brought out into the battlefield and pierced the bodies of the fallen soldiers of both sides. With a loud explosion, the box collapses and what emerged from it was...was...

 _ _An abomination.__

 ** **A/N: Ok, I've decided to this snippit here instead of rewriting the Nagoya Airport battle because I prefer to avoid spoilers for those who haven't reached that point in the manga/anime yet. I hope my readers like my version of the confrontation between Guren and fem Yuu. :) I really think that if he was female, Yuu might develop some semi-romantic feelings for her guardian since he's such a good-looking guy not much older than her lol. In my opinion, fem Yuu would be in love with Mika but still have a crush on Guren.****


	5. Only if for a Night

****Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only.**** ** **This one shot is a slightly AU-ish and 'what-if' type fic I wrote upon request for one of my readers, Shiranai Atsune. It will be my take on the events of chapter 36-37 of the manga and episode 22 of the anime. Instead of taking Yuu to a run-down store in the city, Mika takes 'her' to his parents' home. Other differences regarding vampires in my story compared to the canon series is that they experience emotions more intensly then humans and can have intimate relations like humans.****

 ** **Only If For a Night****

"We'll take care of things here, Mika. So take Yuu and go now!" the purple-haired girl named Shinoa Hiragi ordered as she used her scythe to hold the other members of the demon army at bay.

Mikaela Hyakuya could hardly believe his luck as the very people he attacked to get to his cherished younger sister decided to put their own careers (and lives) at risk to protect him, a vampire they knew almost nothing about, simply because he was the last remaining family member of their squad mate.

"You heard her, Yuu, let's go" Mika said as he hoisted his adoptive sister into his arms bridal style and prepared to carry her off but not before taking one last moment to look at Shinoa.

He said no more but the Hiragi girl could see the gratitude in his eyes and silently bade him farewell with her smile before he turned and left the battlefield with his prize. Now that Mika had what he came for, there was no reason for him to stay any longer. A part of him felt guilty for leaving the rest of Yuu's squad behind to fend for themselves but deep down, he knew that they were strong people and would manage somehow. He had faith in them, just as they had faith in him, trusted him to protect their squad mate and dear friend.

With the unconscious Yuichiro in his arms, Mikaela used his superhuman speed to get as far away from the warring humans and vampires as he could. Even though he was a vampire himself, he had no more love for his own kind then the humans they fought against. Mika wanted nothing more than to get as far away from this war as possible with his sister and let both sides be damned.

Even so, the young vampire knew that such a thing was much easier said than done for Yuu herself was not an ordinary human being, but a namanari, a test body of the demon army's seraph experiments and the first successful one at that. In other words, a living weapon highly sought after by leaders on both sides of the human-vampire war from the Hiragi and Sangu families to the most powerful vampire progenitors. If Yuu was just an ordinary human, and Mika an ordinary vampire, it would have been a simple matter for him to take her someplace far away where they can live in peace and leave the humans and vampires behind to fight out their senseless war with neither side missing their presence.

However, fate was not so kind to either of them. Mikaela himself was also a bearer of the seraph gene as well as the favorite and most prized warrior of Queen Krul Tepes. And since he knew too many of her secrets, it was highly doubtful she would let him go easily any more than the Hiragis and Sangus would let Yuichiro go easily. Krul had allowed and given Mika the opportunity to disappear from the front lines and vanish in the confusion of the war on the condition that he find Yuu and bring her back to Sanguinem but that was an order he had no intention of obeying and a promise he had no intention of keeping but Mika had feigned compliance to avoid arousing the suspicion of his queen and vampire mother. All he had to do now was take Yuu to a temporary safe haven and wait for both of their injuries to heal before they can move on and in the meantime, he could think about where they would go next.

Fortunately, Mika knew just the place. It was a small house in a secluded neighborhood, his home when he was still a human child living with his parents before the world had fallen into ruin. With Yuu in his arms, Mika reached up for the key he wore around his neck and used it to unlock the front door to his old house. Unlike the other houses in the neighborhood, his home had not been neglected because he had returned frequently to maintain it over the years for it was also his secret getaway whenever Krul gave him vacation time which she didn't mind. Because she knew that as long as he was dependent on her blood, Mika would not attempt to desert the vampire army.

The queen even trusted him so far as to not question where he went so long as he returned to Sanguinem when he was expected to report back to duty again and for that, Mika was grateful for there was no way he and Yuu could hide here for even a day if Krul had any idea where to find them. Even though he knew they wouldn't be able to stay here too long before the queen or the demon army tracked them down, at least it would buy them enough time to recover.

As soon as he opened the door, Mika quickly went inside before locking it behind him, an awkward and tedious task when he was holding an unconscious young girl in his arms. If he were a normal human, he would have collapsed from exhaustion by now, not that he wasn't far off considering the injuries he sustained from the battlefield. Taking Yuu to his parents' bedroom, Mika gently set her down on the bed before heading to the bathroom to examine his injuries in the mirror. His white uniform was torn in many places and stained with blood and although he was no longer bleeding, Mika's injuries had not healed as they should have. Reaching for the pouch hooked to his belt, he found that he had only one vial of Krul's blood left and it was enough to last him three days at most. After that…

Mika shook his head fiercely. __No, I can't think about that right now…__ he thought. His first priority was to take care of Yuu and in order to do that, he needed to regain his strength, even if only partly. Prying open the cap of the vial, Mika downed the last of the vital fluid he possessed needed to keep him alive. Until now he had managed to ignore the pain of his injuries well due to his joy of finding and recovering Yuichiro but now he felt like they had caught up with him. Removing his boots and uniform, Mika tossed them into a corner of the bathroom and stepped into the shower, turning the water on cold instead of hot to numb the pain and wash the dried blood, dirt, and other debris off his body. The last time he was here, Mika made sure to leave some soap as well which he now used generously for didn't want to greet Yuichiro when she woke up looking and smelling the way he did.

Yuichiro Hyakuya felt a slight headache as she slowly opened her eyes. The last thing she remembered was Kimizuki grabbing and throwing her into a coffin-like box after she had made a suicidal attempt to fight Crowley Eusford, a 13th level progenitor, alone in order to rescue her guardian from his clutches.

 _ _What happened?__ She thought, __where am I?__

Sitting up and looking around, the raven-haired girl found herself on a king-sized, four poster bed in a clean and spacious bedroom with two elegant wooden night tables on each side, and a long dresser as well as make-up table with a mirror. The ivory-colored carpet was clean and there was even a fireplace with freshly cut wooden logs in it against the far wall. Wherever this was, Yuu knew it wasn't her dorm room at JIDA headquarters, that's for sure. It looked almost like…

Someone's home.

As if the sight of the room wasn't a big enough surprise for Yuu, her ears also picked up the sounds of running water, like there was someone in the shower. The ravenette wasn't sure what to make of all this and was about to get off the bed to look when she heard the water being shut off and the sounds of someone stepping out of the shower.

Curious, Yuu decided to stay put for a moment to wait for her mysterious host. She didn't have to wait long before she saw the bathroom door open and a pale, blond young man step into the bedroom, his chest still dripping water and his hair wet and messy with the golden strands plastered to his forehead. When she got a good look at his face, Yuichiro gasped in surprise as she felt a blush crawling up cheeks. Was that who she thought it was?

"Mika? Is that you?"

At the sound of his sister's voice, the young vampire turned and found Yuu wide awake, sitting up on the bed and staring at him with luminous green eyes, her cheeks red with embarrassment. The look on Yuu's face made Mika all too aware that he was clad in nothing but a towel around his waist which wasn't exactly the way he wanted to look when he greeted his sister upon her awakening. But he supposed what's done was done and prepared himself to answer the questions he was sure would follow.

"Yes, Yuu-chan, it's me. There's no need to be embarrassed; it's not like this is the first time you've seen me without a shirt."

Somehow, Mika's words didn't do much to ease Yuu's embarrassment. What he said was true; they used to share rooms and bathrooms when they were children but things were different now. Neither she nor Mika were children anymore and he had no idea the effect his half-naked state had on his adoptive sister. Unlike the scrawny little boy she remembered, Mika's shoulders were now broader, his arms, legs, and chest well-defined from years of sword practice and intense physical training while serving in the vampire army.

Trying her best to avert her eyes, Yuu changed the subject. "Where am I, Mika?" she asked. "Is this a dream?"

In answer to her question, Mikaela approached the bed and gently took her face in his hands before managing a smile. Once Yuichiro felt his gentle touch, she knew for sure she wasn't dreaming.

"I assure you, it is not. This is my home, my real home and I've brought you here with me…" he said gently.

"You mean…?"

"Yes. This is the house where I lived with my parents before…" Mika closed his eyes as if the next few words were too painful for him to speak. But he didn't have to; Yuu understood perfectly.

"I see… and this room?"

"My mother and father's. My own room is pretty small and has no bathroom. I was only a child when I last used it and the bed is small too; I'm sure you wouldn't find it as comfortable as this one."

"But how…?"

Knowing what she was about to ask, Mika cut her off. "I will answer all your questions shortly. For now, why don't you take a shower while I get you something to eat? You look famished and exhausted."

Yuu was about to protest when she heard her stomach growl and realized that she hadn't had anything to eat since this morning. Not to mention that she was covered in dirt and debris from her fight with Crowley as well as the events leading up to it. Her uniform was also dirty and torn in many places but thankfully, her sword was intact; Mika made sure to put it away with great care, setting it on the surface of the large dresser next to his own.

When Yuu saw that Mika also noticed her stomach growling and smiled in amusement, she blushed and decided to take his advice. "Okay, I'll do that."

"Good. There's an extra towel in the bathroom and I'll have some food and new clothes ready for you when you get out." Without another word, Mika got up and left Yuu to get dressed.

As soon as Mika was gone, Yuu got out of bed and went into the bathroom. Looking at herself in the mirror, Yuu found that although she was not seriously hurt, a miracle considering that Crowley had knock her around quite a bit before Kimizuki arrived and took her away, she did look like a wreck with several strands of hair sticking out of her ponytail and her face smudged with dirt. After removing her hair tie, Yuu took off the rest of her uniform as well as her boots and tossed them on top of Mika's. Considering that she had not showered in almost two days since leaving JIDA headquarters for Nagoya, Yuu could only imagine how unpleasant she must have smelled; there was no way Mika could not have noticed with his enhanced vampire senses but he was probably much too polite to say anything plus he knew she couldn't help it; it was normal for soldiers going out on the field not to bathe for days at a time as there were often no opportunities to do so. As a soldier of the vampire army, Mika understood this very well.

Ridding herself of her dirty uniform, Yuu stepped into the shower and turned on the water lukewarm, her favorite temperature. The clean water felt incredibly good against her skin and was very soothing to her aching, tired body. Looking around, Yuu saw a large bar of brand name soup as well as brand name shampoo and conditioner, a luxury considering that she was used to the generic, standard toiletries the demon army provided their soldiers. All things considered, it would be almost criminal for her not to take advantage of them so Yuu made sure to enjoy her shower as much as she could, soaping herself lavishly as well as using generous amounts of shampoo and conditioner on her long, black hair, something she couldn't do back at headquarters considering that the demon army only gave their soldiers a limited amount of toiletries to use every week so they had conserve as much as they could, using no more than what was truly necessary to stay clean and well-groomed.

After she had finished showering, Yuichiro squeezed the water out of her hair, wrapped a towel around her body, and looked at herself in the mirror again, relieved to see that she looked a lot better now that she was clean. As she allowed her gaze to sweep across the bathroom counter, Yuu noticed what appeared to be a make-up box and some brushes sealed in a see-through case, possibly belonging to Mika's late mother. She didn't know why, but the ravenette felt a burning desire to use them which was strange considering how lazy she was about putting on make-up back home. Yuu remembered how Shinoa and Mitsuba (under Guren's orders) had to drag her out of bed early every morning back at headquarters to put on her make-up so that she would look more presentable before reporting for duty because they knew she didn't care enough for her appearance to do it herself. The most Yuu would do in regards to personal grooming was shower, clean her face, and comb her hair to tie in a simple pony tail; she cared nothing for the elaborate buns, braids, or pig-tails favored by Shinoa and Mitsuba.

But somehow, this was different and before she knew what she was doing, Yuichiro opened the make-up box and took out the brushes after making sure her hair was pulled out of her face and tied back. Looking inside, she found eyeshadows, mascara, eyeliners, lipsticks and cheek colors of various shades. This was the first time Yuu applied own make-up but she had seen Shinoa and Mitsuba do it often enough to get the gist of it. She recalled them saying she looked best with ivory-colored foundation, pink lipstick, rose blush, and soft brown-pink eyeshadows which brought out her green eyes best. Yuu found that the hardest part of applying her own make-up was the eyeliner and mascara but rest was pretty easy and after she was finished, she put the make-up and brushes away before going back out into the bedroom where she found some clean clothes laid out for her on the bed. Upon closer inspection, Yuu saw that it was a sleeveless, Victorian-style nightgown which she supposed shouldn't be a surprise since it was approaching late evening.

Once she got changed, Yuu considered checking the rest of the house out and searching for Mika but thought better of it, feeling that it would be better to just stay in the room and wait for him to come back with her dinner. She didn't have to wait long before the object of her concern knocked on the door and entered as soon as she gave her permission.

When Mika went inside, he found Yuichiro sitting on the bed, dressed in the nightgown he prepared for her and combing her hair like a mermaid on the shore. He himself was dressed in more casual clothes consisting of a simple button-up shirt and slacks as well as slippers with his blond hair finally dried and combed out. In his arms was a wooden tray with a plate of food and glass of cold water. Looking at Mika now, Yuu could not help but smile; it has been so long since she's had a chance to be with him considering how brief their last encounter in Shinjuku was and how they didn't have much time to catch up on what had been going on with each other's lives. There were so many things Yuu wanted to ask her adoptive brother but decided it best to take things slow for now, especially after she noticed the wounds on his arms and chest when he stepped into the bedroom after showering earlier.

Yuu was about to ask Mika about them but he beat her to it. "I'm alright" he said "Don't worry about me; what's important now is that you eat something to regain your strength."

Looking at the food Mika offered her reminded Yuu again of how hungry she was. It wasn't much, just a bowl of what looked like canned chicken soup along with a small loaf of bread and glass of plain water with some ice. But to a hungry stomach, even the simplest of meals looked like a feast for kings. Curious, she asked "How is it you have access to food like that? There must not be an operating grocery store around here for miles."

Mika smiled as he set the tray, which was also had a short stand, on the bed. "I have my ways" he answered.

"I see…" Yuu said simply, deciding not to push the matter further since it was not an issue of import. Taking the spoon next to the plate, Yuichiro started to eat while Mika went to the fire place and used some matches he took out of a drawer from one of the night tables to heat the logs and start a fire. Minutes after the fire was set, a soft light as well as pleasant warmth filled the room. When Yuu saw that Mika made no attempt to move from his spot, she asked "Don't you want any, Mika? Aren't you hungry?"

Mika laughed. "No, it's all for you, Yuu-chan. For some reason, I really like watching you eat."

Yuu could not help but smile mischievously. "You know, food does taste better when eaten together, know what I mean?"

Smiling, Mika left his spot by the fireplace and sat down on the bed next to Yuu She didn't know why but having him this close made her heart flutter and when he touched her face, she found that his hand was surprisingly warm for a vampire.

"I would eat it with you… if I could" he said sadly.

Yuu frowned as Mika's words made her remember that as a vampire, even an incomplete one, he could no longer consume anything but blood. Shinoa did tell her this a while back but Yuu had forgotten all about it until now.

"I'm sorry" she apologized as she looked down to avoid her brother's eyes "I didn't think…"

Mika shook his head as he got up, walked to the nearby window and stood there in silence as if contemplating something. As she watched him, wondering what he was thinking, Yuu finished the rest of her dinner and set the tray on a night table. She figured that now would be as good a time as any to ask the questions she had been meaning to since she woke up and found herself in this unfamiliar room.

"Mika… I know you brought me here but how did it come to be? How did you know where to find me? And how long have I been out?"

Mikaela frowned as he recalled his tragic encounter with the late demon army lieutenant, Aiko Aihara, who revealed Yuichiro's location to him even though he actually ran into Shinoa's squad by chance as they were heading to Nagoya. He didn't want to kill Aihara but she had left him no choice; the woman was stubborn and determined to force his hand. If she had only done what he asked and played dead, she wouldn't have had to die. But there was nothing he could do about that now. Still, he couldn't bring himself to tell Yuu the truth but neither could he lie to her.

So he simply said "I bribed someone from the demon army to tell me where you were and she told me because she figured out that we were friends so she trusted me. And you've been out since this morning." It wasn't the whole truth but neither was it a lie.

Yuu looked at Mika curiously. "And what about you?" she pressed "Won't your superiors notice you are missing?"

Mika shook his head. "No. Queen Krul herself gave me this secret mission. She made an opportunity for me to disappear in the confusion of war to find you on the condition that once I do, I bring you back to Sanguinem and hand you over to her custody."

"What? Why? What does Queen Krul want with me?"

"The vampire progenitors have taken a great interest in you after what happened in Shinjuku. I don't know if any of your superiors ever told you this but you are a bearer of the seraph gene and as the result of several years of experimentation, possess a power within your body that can turn the tide of this war for either the humans or vampires, depending on who gets ahold of you first."

Yuu was taken aback by her brother's words. She supposed she shouldn't have been all that surprised because back at headquarters, Kureto Hiragi mentioned that her guardian rescued her as a child because he wanted to use something inside her even though he knew far less then Mika did. Her demon contractor, Asuramaru, also mentioned that part of Yuu herself was not human. She may have been happy to be reunited with Mika but was not thrilled to hear that the reason he rescued her was because his queen had ordered him to do so, because possession of her would serve the interests of the powerful vampire progenitors; Yuichiro Hyakuya had no desire to be used as a living weapon for either side. Her expression hardened as she looked at Mikaela and demanded in a cold voice:

"So is that it? You've come to fetch the seraph for your masters?"

Mikaela spun around to face Yuichiro, his eyes dark with anger but his displeasure was not directed at her.

"Never!" he answered harshly as he approached Yuu and took her by the arms, forcing her to stand. The young ravenette winced at her brother's strength which could easily break her arms but she noticed he exercised enough self-control not to hurt her, at least not seriously. "I will never give you to anyone!" Mika hissed. "Because you belong to ME! Not the vampires, nor the humans, or anyone else! You are mine and mine alone and I would die before I ever hand you over to either side!"

Yuichiro felt her face grow hot at the forcefulness of Mikaela's words even though he wasn't the first one to claim possession of her; Yuu had shared a love-hate relationship with her guardian and mentor, Guren Ichinose, who often delighted in reminding Yuu that as her savior as well as the one who took her in, raised her, and taught her how to fight, she owed him her life and therefore belonged to him. He treated her like a belonging, no different than the sword he wore around his belt which became even more literal when she discovered he had saved her because he wanted to use her as a weapon. Guren also did not hesitate to remind Yuichiro of her debt whenever he felt her loyalty to him may be wavering by someone offering her a greater opportunity.

Like the Hiragis. Kureto Hiragi, to be exact.

But Mika was different. He wanted to possess her but it wasn't for power…

It was for love.

"Mika…" she began, her cheeks heating up again as she looked into his handsome face, the face that haunted her dreams for four years after they were forced to part in Sanguinem, his icy-blue eyes, now full of fire. "I would have never guessed…the way you used to baby me around when we were kids… I never knew that __this__ was how you actually felt…"

Their faces were so close, she could feel his breath on her cheek. Mika's eyes were so intense, Yuu felt like they could see right into her soul and before she knew what was happening, his lips were on hers. The ravenette gasped in surprise which gave Mika the opportunity to force his tongue pass her lips and deepen the kiss.

 _ _This is not how a brother and sister is supposed to kiss…__ Yuu thought as she tried to push him away but she didn't try very hard. When the need for air finally forced them apart, Yuu put some distance between them and stared at her brother.

"Why… why did you do that, Mika?" Yuu asked breathlessly.

"Because…it was the only way I could make you understand that I love you, Yuu-chan. Not as a brother loves his sister but as a man loves a woman…" he answered sadly.

"Mika…I'm sorry, I had no idea. I'm happy I got to see you again but I can't stay here; I have an obligation, a duty to my squad, to my guardian whom I own my life. Please, take me back to them; they need me…"

"But I need you…just as much…" Mikaela took her by the arms again but much more gently this time. His voice was not harsh but sad, his eyes not angry but desperate, pleading; he looked as though he were fighting back tears but trying to be strong. "Yuu-chan… I won't stop you if you truly want to go back to the demon army, even after what they did to you but please remember this: I disobeyed my queen, my vampire mother, by refusing to take you back to Sanguinem as soon as I found you. I took you from the demon army and brought you here despite the pain of my injuries. I risked my life for you and still am; does that mean nothing to you?"

As soon as she heard those words, Yuichiro Hyakuya knew she was defeated because she realized, that she too, was in love with Mikaela. She couldn't brush off their feelings as those of siblings because it was obvious that they weren't. How could she refuse him anything after what he had just confessed?

"What would you have me do then, Mikaela Hyakuya?" Yuu asked quietly.

As if in answer, Mika gently placed his hand under Yuu's chin and lifted her face up to look him in the eyes. Brushing his lips against hers, he whispered "Stay with me… if only for tonight. After that, go where you will, do what you will; I will not stop you…"

Yuichiro was taken aback at his words. Just a moment ago, Mikaela said that he'd rather die than turn her over to the humans or vampires and now he was willing to let her go? With his strength, it would have been no problem for him to force her to stay with him.

 _ _No, that was different. He said he wouldn't give me to anyone but won't stop me if I went of my own accord…__ Yuu thought. Someone once told her that the ultimate act of love was letting go. And as painful as it would have been for Mika to see Yuu go, he wanted her to be happy and placed her happiness above his own desires.

"Yes, Mika… I will stay with you tonight… but please come with me when I leave here tomorrow. Will you do that for me?"

Now it was Mika's turn to be surprised. "Go with you? You can't be serious, there's no way I can trust the demon army since they exist to exterminate vampires!"

Yuu shook her head. "No, I'm not asking you to trust the demon army but trust me. And my friends. I know they will help us so please trust them as you trust me!"

Mika was about to protest when he remembered how Shinoa and the rest of her squad stood between him and their other comrades in the demon army who were crying out for his blood just this morning. If they had chosen to fight against him rather than with him, Mika would have never been able to escape the battlefield with his life, let alone with Yuu.

"I understand…" he said. "But for tonight, it's just the two of us; forget about everything else."

Yuu's smile couldn't have been more beautiful. "Nothing would make me happier…" she whispered. It was then that Mika noticed for the first time that she was wearing make-up and smiled himself.

"Yuu-chan…did you make yourself look pretty just for me?" he teased.

Yuu laughed. "I hope you don't mind me using your mother's make-up but I couldn't resist. Tonight is special."

"It's all right; it's not like she'll be needing it anymore."

Yuu frowned. Mika had never spoken much about his parents when they were younger; she knew he didn't exactly have the best relationship with them. The same was true of Yuu and her own parents. Still, she was curious.

"Do you miss them?"

Mika did not answer right away and for a moment, Yuu feared that she might have offended him and opened her mouth to apologize but he placed a finger on her lips.

"It's all right, Yuu-chan, I'm not offended. To answer your question, yes, I actually do miss them sometimes even though they haven't always been good to me. We all cling on to what's familiar for better or worse."

As he said this, Mika turned and reached for what Yuu thought to be a picture frame on one of the night tables next to the bed and placed it in her hand. Upon closer inspection, Yuu saw that the picture in the frame was that of a young couple, a blond-haired Caucasian man who appeared to be of European descent and a Japanese women.

"These are your parents?" she asked.

"Yes. My father was Russian, born and raised in Moscow, and my mother was Japanese, a native of Tokyo; they died when I was seven. My father was speeding on the highway while drunk one night and my mother couldn't stop him so she threw me out of the car right before it crashed into a truck and killed them both. I was badly injured and would have died had someone not found me that night and taken me to the hospital. After I recovered, I was sent to the Hyakuya Orphanage. That was a year before I met you."

"I'm sorry…"

Mika shook his head. "Don't be" he said. "Nobody at the orphanage had it easy. Like you, I also bear the seraph gene and Krul once told me that those who do are destined to live tragic lives. But I believe that we can make our own destiny. That's why I refuse to let anyone use me; I only obey my queen, my superiors, so far as they serve my own interests. And that was finding you."

"You mean…?"

"Yes. I did not become a vampire by choice; Krul had forced it upon me as I laid dying at the gates of Sanguinem. I knew she saved me for her own purposes but I also realized that she had done me a favor as well; if I had died by Ferid's hands that day, I would have never been able to find you again. It was that hope that kept me alive these past for years. Were it not for you, I would have taken my own life long ago because I would rather die as a human than live for all eternity as a vampire."

"Mika…I don't know what to say…" Yuu found herself completely overwhelmed. To think that he endured his vampire existence because of her was incredible but in a way, she understood; if their places were reversed, she would have done the same.

Yuu put the picture frame back on the table before embracing Mika as if she never wanted to let him go out of fear of losing him again. It was then that she noticed him flinching slightly in her hold, as if in pain or discomfort.

"Mika, what's wrong?" she asked, brow furrowing in concern.

"It's nothing you need to concern yourself with" he answered, trying to make the lie sound as smooth as possible. But Yuu wasn't easily fooled.

"Please don't lie to me, Mika…" she said sadly as she gently placed her hands under his shirt. He made no attempt to resist as she examined the wounds on his chest, particularly the one where Shinya Hiragi had stabbed him earlier that day. The blood had clotted and he was no longer bleeding, but the injuries he sustained while trying to take on the demon army by himself had not healed completely yet which was highly suspicious to Yuu because she knew vampires, even incomplete ones, can heal their injuries within minutes, if not seconds after sustaining them, especially if they have not been infected by the hex of the cursed demon gear yet.

Something wasn't right, she could feel it.

"Mika, when was the last time you fed?"

The young vampire's heart sank; he knew where this conversation was going. He had already drunken his last vial of Krul's blood and could tell it was losing its effectiveness when his injuries did not heal right away. It also did little to sate his thirst.

"Don't even think about it, Yuu. I will not drink your blood; I absolutely refuse to drink human blood."

"That's ridiculous! What have you been drinking up until now? How did you survive?"

"I've been living off the blood of the vampire queen for the past four years."

"But her blood alone isn't enough to sustain you anymore, is it?"

Mika was silent for a moment as if he didn't want to answer but his refusal in itself was an answer. Yuu was more perceptive and astute than he gave her credit for.

Knowing he would not drink without persuasion, Yuu kissed him. "Please, Mika, I can't bear to see you in pain." Her brother stiffened before returning her kiss briefly and gently pushing her away from him.

"You don't understand, Yuu-chan; if I drink human blood, I will become a complete vampire who will live on, unchanging for all eternity. There will be nothing human left in me; I will become the thing you hate most in this world…"

"So you'd rather die? After you took all that trouble to find me? I could never hate you regardless of what you become; you are still Mikaela, my friend, my brother …and my love."

Forgetting his predicament for a moment, Mika's eyes lit up and he smiled mischievously. "So it's true… you do love me…"

"I do…and always will. So please…"

This time, it was Yuu's eyes that were desperate and pleading. And Mika was the one who could refuse her nothing. "It may hurt a bit. Are you sure?"

"Yes" she answered as she cocked her head to the side to give him easier access to her graceful, swan-like neck.

As Mika lowered his head to the spot between her neck and shoulders, he could smell the intoxicating scent of her blood beckoning to him to drink. For almost five years, Mika had fought the constant urge to drink from anyone but his vampire mother. However, Krul herself told him that he would not last forever on her blood alone. It didn't help that Ferid also took every opportunity to break his will by constantly tempting him to drink human blood. Even now, he could almost hear the taunting words of his former benefactor.

 _ _Why do you fight it? Are you afraid your precious Yuu-chan will hate you?__

 _ _You can't put off drinking human blood forever, Mika, dear! You do know what happens to vampires who get too thirsty!__

 _ _What's wrong, Mika? Don't you want to stay young and beautiful forever?__

 _ _What's so special about Yuichiro Hyakuya? Human beauty is such a fleeting thing, my dear Mika!__

Mika shut his eyes as he tried to shut out Ferid's voice inside his thoughts. He took comfort in knowing that the older vampire was wrong about one thing: Yuichiro did not hate him for being a vampire; she knew it was not of his own choice. She was offering her blood to him willingly and promised to always love him no matter what. And as if sensing his thoughts, Yuu reached up and placed her hand behind his head, gently pressing him to drink, to finally give in to this thirst and end his torment. That simple gesture did what years of listening to Ferid's taunting words could not and Mika's body seemed to act of its own will as he finally opened his mouth, bared his fangs, and sank them into his love's tender neck.

Yuichiro cried out as she felt a sharp, yet sweet pain in her neck that also felt oddly pleasant as well. Never once did she ever imagine being bitten by a vampire as something pleasant and had expected the pain to be beyond her worst nightmares but she was willing to endure it if it would save Mika's life. That's why Yuu was surprised to find that her love's bite was the opposite of what she thought it would be. Once his fangs have settled in, both of them became consumed by a purely blissful, indescribable feeling that touched every nerve of their bodies. Mika found the taste of Yuu's blood more delicious, addictive, and intoxicating then Krul's by far; he felt like he would never want another's blood after having hers. If he were to make a comparison between Yuu's blood and anyone else's, it would be like comparing water to fine wine.

Yuu wrapped her free arm around Mika's back as her breathing become heavier; she found herself feeling light-headed as a wave of dizziness washed over her. Had he really drank that much? The ravenette would have asked if she didn't feel her knees buckle from under her and Mika must have noticed as well for he withdrew his fangs from her neck and quickly caught her before she fell, taking her into his arms bridal style before carrying her to bed and licking the blood from his bite-mark clean. This may be his first time drinking from Yuu but Mika was still perceptive enough to know that she had given him all she could for the night and he didn't want to hurt her by drinking too much of her blood; he already had all he needed which was evident when he felt his wounds from this morning's battle finally heal. He also felt a strange stinging sensation in his eyes and had to close them for a moment. When Mika finally opened them, he found Yuu looking up at him, staring at his face in amazement and wonder. It was then he finally realized that he was also on the bed, hovering over her.

"Mika, your eyes!" she gasped.

Curious as to what she meant, Mikaela turned his head and looked into the mirror of his mother's make-up table from across the room and was surprised to find that instead of being ruby-red, like he had expected upon becoming a complete vampire, his eyes were a rich amethyst-purple instead.

"How could this be?" As if in answer, he felt Yuu's hand cup his cheek to gently turn his face towards her again.

"It's because of me…because I am not an ordinary human. But it does not matter as long as my blood can save you." Yuichiro smiled as if trying to reassure her love that everything would be all right. "I love them, they are just as beautiful as your blue eyes, maybe even more because you might be the only person in the world with them." She didn't lie; Yuu had never seen anyone, human or vampire, with such rich purple eyes. Mitsuba didn't count because she wore contacts; her real eye color was actually blue and so was Guren's.

Mikaela smiled. "I'm happy you like them. But more importantly, how do you feel?"

"Mmm… a little dizzy and light-headed but it feels good; I just need a moment…"

As she waited for the dizziness to pass, Yuu started to fumble with Mika's shirt, trying to undo the buttons and getting a little frustrated at the tediousness of the task. When he saw the impatient expression on her face and realized she was becoming aroused, Mika could not help but laugh before a wicked idea came to him. Taking Yuu's hands, he gently set them back down to her sides before proceeding to undo the buttons of his shirt himself, making sure to do it slowly enough to tease and entice his raven-haired lover. Mika was not to be disappointed when Yuu sat up and roughly pulled it off his shoulders, her emerald-green eyes burning with desire as they swept over his bare chest, admiring the toned muscles and pale flawless skin.

Pressing her face to his shoulder, she whispered "Mika, what have you done to me?"

Wrapping his arms around her, he answered "Nothing different than what you've done to me, Yuu-chan; your nightgown is quite provocative."

"No fair!" Yuu pouted. "You were the one who picked it for me; I didn't have a choice!"

"Mmm… you're right. I wanted to see you in it and I must say you look very lovely." Mika purred as he reached down to pull the hem of Yuu's nightgown up. That was when he realized she wasn't wearing anything under it.

 _ _That tease,__ he thought with a grin, __she isn't wearing any panties…__

"But for now, it looks better on the floor" Mika continued as he lifted Yuu's nightgown over her arms and head and tossed it off to the side.

Yuu felt the warm air brush her bare skin as she allowed her blond lover to undress her. It wasn't fair for her to be the only one naked so the ravanette started to unbutton his pants with the same impatience as she had when trying to unbutton his shirt. Amused by this, Mika decided to humor his love and let her finish undressing him. As soon as their clothes littered the floor, Mika grabbed Yuu by the arms and flipped her over on the bed so he was on top of her, his gaze as lustful as her own when his purple eyes swept over her nude body. His precious Yuu-chan had changed so much from the twelve-year-old girl he remembered from his childhood.

Looking at her face, Mika could see that the baby fat had melted to reveal adult curves and found himself admiring the feminine curves of her legs, waist, and hips. Unlike his own milky pale skin, the result of years of living in an underground vampire city, as well as a trait from his Caucasian father, Yuu's skin was a light tan, the color of alabaster. And unlike other human soldiers, whose bodies are often laced with battle scars, Yuu's body was as flawless as Mika's own because her seraph powers granted her vast regenerative abilities that prevented scarring, similar to his vampire powers.

And her eyes… Yuu's eyes were the most beautiful shade of emerald green Mika has ever seen. Her hair was like a waterfall made of the blackest silk, the color of the beautiful midnight sky; they were the reason green and black were his favorite colors.

Yuu found her heart beating so fast and hard she felt like it would burst out of her chest. Never did she ever dream that she and her childhood friend would ever end up in bed like this. He had always been handsome as a child but now that he was a young man, his beauty was on a completely different level. Born to a Russian father and Japanese mother, Mikaela Hyakuya looked as though he had inherited the best of both worlds as were apparent in his dazzling, exotic features.

If Mika only knew what Yuu was thinking, he would have laughed at the irony. He himself never thought his mixed-raced heritage was anything to be proud of. Even when he was human, Mikaela had always felt like an outsider among the other children living in Japan with his wavy blond hair and icy blue eyes and envied the pure-blooded Japanese children like Yuichiro, Akane, and other orphans he lived with at the Hyakuya orphanage. Mika also thought his wavy hair was a pain to comb out in the morning and would have given ten years of his life for silky straight and black hair like Yuu despite the fact that both Krul and Ferid often praised the beauty of his blond hair and blue eyes. Perhaps it was because of them that Mika subconsciously found himself attracted to his lover's tanned skin, black hair, and green eyes; because it was a different kind of beauty, one that complemented his own.

"My, very impatient now, are we?" he teased.

"I need you…" she whimpered. The bite marks on Yuu's neck ached yet it still felt pleasurable to her from the expression Mika could see on her face and he would love nothing more than to make passionate love to her right here and now but still didn't want his love to act impulsively and do something she may regret later. It was well known that vampires and humans who willingly consort with one another were looked down upon and shunned by both races. Mika himself didn't care; he had always been an outsider among the vampires anyway and could never go back to Krul either now her blood could no longer sustain him and that he had betrayed her for Yuu.

"Yuu-chan… are you sure? If anyone finds out, you will be cast from the demon army in disgrace."

"I don't care… Do __you__ care if you are cast from the vampire army in disgrace?"

He didn't.

And that was all the consent Mika needed before his lips were on Yuu's again and this time, she did not try to push him away but returned his kiss with equal fervor, exhaling as she felt the unnatural hardness of his fangs against her lips. Now that he had her where he wanted her, Mika gracefully swept the inside of Yuu's mouth with his tongue in a provocative imitation of love-making as he took both of her hands with one of his and pinned them above her head while using the other to part her thighs slightly and slide a finger inside of her. Yuichiro gasped, eyes widening and her face grew hot at the sudden intrusion of her most intimate area, since when had Mika become so daring?

 _ _Where did he learn to kiss and touch like that?__ She thought.

As pleasurable as Mika's teasing of her body was, Yuu could not help feeling a little jealous as to how he became experienced in such a matter but her lover would give her no such chance to ask for once his lips left hers, they were back on her neck, his tongue teasing the spot where he had bitten her earlier before dotting hot, open-mouthed kisses down her neck, trying his hardest to resist the temptation to bite her again. Releasing Yuu's hands, Mika took one of her breasts and brushed her nipple with his thumb while taking the other into his mouth, his tongue swirling around the tight bud as he slid another finger inside of her, as if probing, searching for something.

As Mika had suspected, Yuu's walls were tight; she was no doubt a virgin. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for him, having lost his own virginity at the tender age of twelve when Ferid took him as a concubine as well as a blood bag. Were it not for the look of pleasure and desire on his love's face, Mikaela would have been filled with self-loathing at his own sexual impurity; everything he knew about the art of love-making, he learned from his former benefactor. It was unfortunate but Mika was glad that some good came of it; if he could use his experience as a sex slave to please Yuichiro, then it would have been worth it.

Mika was snapped out of his thoughts when he felt his lover's hands on his bottom and heard her giggling as she gave it a playful squeeze. Yuu was pleasantly surprised to find it nice and firm like the rest of him but still nowhere near as hard as the most masculine part of him rubbing against her thigh, gently prodding her softness as if seeking entry. In response, the ravenette propped herself on her elbows and took her lover's lips hungrily, licking his lips in a lascivious manner before she reached out and took his throbbing member in her hand and began pumping aggressively, causing a guttural moan to escape from his throat. If Yuu kept going like that, Mika knew he would no doubt…

Not wanting it to be over before it even began, Mika took Yuu's wrist and forced her to release him before hooking his arms under both her legs and spreading her thighs further to make room for himself between them. Though this was his first time being intimate with a female, the mating instinct that had been natural to men and women since the dawn of time did not fail him as he leaned over and gently pushed himself forward.

Yuichiro took a deep breath and put her arms around Mikaela as she felt his body slowly enter hers. She knew that if she tried to relax, it would hurt less than if she were to remain tense. Yuu remembered overhearing the other female soldiers of the demon army saying that the first time was always going to be most uncomfortable for the woman; she assumed they were speaking from experience. Mika noticed the look of discomfort as well as beads of sweat forming on his lover's face; he knew that her first time was going to hurt no matter what he did so he may as well get it over with. Pulling back, Mika gently kissed Yuu on her forehead and whispered an apology before swiftly and powerfully thrusting into her, making her scream with pain. For a moment, Mika remained still as he waited for Yuu's pain to subside; when her face became relaxed again, he gently took her left hand in his right, twining their fingers as he began to gently rock his lover in a slow, and steady rhythm.

Taking her free hand, Yuichiro gently raked her fingertips with long nails up and down Mikaela's back, admiring the feel of his toned muscles as well as soft skin, making him groan with pleasure. Shifting her position slightly, the ravenette wrapped her legs around his waist, allowing him deeper inside her. Their lips met again and again, everything around them forgotten as the lovers became completely one with each other.

"Please, Mika! More, harder!" Yuu cried boldly as her hold on her blonde lover tightened.

After he released her hand, she wrapped both her arms around him, digging her nails fiercely into his back, breaking skin, and drawing blood. Mikaela clenched his teeth, the pain mixing with the pleasure only adding to the incredible sensation as he pounded into his lover's body harder, making her scream with ecstasy until their world exploded in a burst of shimmery flames. Exhausted from his release, Mika collapsed on top of Yuu, his breathing hot and heavy on her neck. When he caught his breath again, Mika smiled and playfully nibbled his lover's ear.

"My, I had no idea you could be so bold, so lascivious, Yuu-chan… "

The ravenette laughed. "Haha, the same could be said of you, Mika…" She was about to ask how he became 'experienced' but didn't want to ruin the mood so decided to hold off on it until later. Besides, their spent passion left her completely exhausted and Yuu felt her eyelids growing heavy. Before allowing sleep to claim her, she said "Mikeala?"

"Yes, Yuu-chan?"

"I love you…"

"I love you too…" he said, as he placed a chaste kiss on her forehead, his beautiful purple eyes the last thing Yuu saw before she finally fell asleep.

 ** **SSSSSS****

Sometime later that night, after Yuichiro had fallen asleep, Mika contented himself by lying next to her, watching her sleep as he stayed awake. Vampires did not need nearly as much rest or sleep as humans but he chose to stay in bed just so that he could be near his love for a while longer. By morning, he would be leaving for Nayoya with Yuu as he had promised her; they couldn't stay here too long anyway for Mika knew that Krul would no doubt sent her minions after them as soon as she realized that he had no intention of ever bringing Yuu to her. But the young vampire tried not to think about that right now; he wanted to enjoy the time he had alone with his lover as much as possible. Once they left his home and met up with Yuu's other friends, then Mika would decide what he wanted to do next. His mind started going over possibilities when he suddenly noticed Yuu wide awake and looking at him, no doubt admiring his new purple eyes.

"Mika, aren't you tired?"

The blond vampire smiled. "Not really. I don't need to sleep much but I can for pleasure. And to be near you..."

Yuu blushed as a memory came to her. "Mika, do you remember when we were kids, how we used to laugh at how funny it was that your parents gave you a girl's name and my parents gave me a boy's? I still wonder about that sometimes. Do you?"

"Well, I always believed my parents named me 'Mikaela' instead of 'Micheal' because they thought I was a very feminine-looking boy. I remember my mother saying it often; even Krul and Ferid told me so."

"Doesn't it bother you?"

"Not really. Its just a name. What about you?"

"Well, I always believed that my parents named me 'Yuichiro' because they secretly wished for a son but was disappointed when I was born a daughter instead."

Mika raised a brow in interest. "Did you ever ask them?"

"The thought never occurred to me; by the time it did, my parents were long gone so now I'll never know."

Yuu closed her eyes and fell silent for a moment as if recalling her parents pained her. Her last memory of them was just as, if not more gruesome as Mika's memories of his own parents. The last Yuu saw her father, he was shot dead by the police after he had stabbed her with a kitchen knife, barely missing her vitals. As for her mother, she had managed to set herself and the family's apartment on fire before anyone could stop her. If the paramedics had not arrived in time, Yuicihro would have surely bled to death from her injury and like Mika, she was sent to the Hyakuya Orphanage shortly after her recovery and release from the hospital.

"I understand. But the past does not matter anymore. What matters is here and now."

"Here and now..." Yuu repeated before trailing off for a moment as if contemplating something. "Mika?"

"Yes?"

"When this war is over, I want to stay with you..."

"But what about your other friends?"

"Shinoa and the others are dear to me; that will never change. But they could never compare to you. Once the war is over, they will go on to live new lives and I feel that I will not belong."

"So what are you saying?" Mika had an idea where this conversation was going but allowed Yuu to continue. She smiled and cupped his cheek in her hand.

"What I'm saying is...that I want to be with you always. I want to be what you are, see what you see, love what you love..."

Mika gasped softly as he found himself giving his lover a wide-eyed stare. So it was as he feared after all.

"Yuu-chan... do you have even the vaguest conception under God what you ask? You've always hated vampires and now you want to be one of them?"

As if in answer, Yuichiro kissed him again. "I'll become anything if it means I can be with you. If you live forever, I will too. If you become human again, so will I and we can both grow old and die together."

What his love said did sound appealing but Mika was still against it. How could he even consider exposing the person he loved most to his curse? He knew how painful the thirst for blood could be. And then there was the risk...

Krul had warned Mika that not every human has been successfully turned. Their chances depended on their age, strength, and endurance and the older the human was when being turned, the more painful the transformation process would be. It was tragically all too common for older, fragile, or sickly humans to die of pain before they could be completely converted to vampirism. Crowley Eusford was one of the rare exceptions of a more mature-looking vampire, having not been turned until he was over thirty-five but Crowley was also an exceptionally strong human in his mortal life which enabled him to survive his excruciating conversion.

And even though Mika knew that Yuu was still young, strong, and healthy, there was still a chance that something could go wrong and she could die. Was it really worth the risk? Even if Yuu herself thought so, Mika wasn't so sure. But he also knew that if he didn't change her, he would lose her as surely as night followed day. Just as her beautiful hair was black now, it would grow gray with age and so will her lovely smooth skin become wrinkled with time while his own body remained youthful and unchanging for all eternity. Unless...

He could become human again. And there was no guarantee he would ever find a way.

Mika thought his words over carefully before answering. "Yuu-chan... you know I love you and will do anything to make you happy but you have to be sure that this is what you __really__ want because once it's done, I cannot take it back. Please take some time to think this over..."

Yuu was silent for a moment before giving him a smile and kissed the back of his hand. "Ok, I will..."

Mika could barely refrain from breathing a sigh of relief and found himself ironically thanking God that she wasn't going to try to argue with him on this like she did everything else.

"Thank you, Yuu-chan" he said before planting a kiss on her forehead. "Just sleep for now; I will still be here when you wake up. Now that I'm with you again, I'll never leave your side, I promise."

"Mmm...thank you..." she whispered before closing her eyes again, letting sleep take her.

After Yuu fell asleep once more, Mika also found his own eyelids growing heavy. During the four years they were apart, he too, had nightmares about the murder of their previous family by the hands of Ferid Bathory but his worst fears were of Yuichiro dying or struggling to survive alone in a cold, dark, post-apocalyptic world. The young vampire may not have appreciated how Yuu's guardian or the demon army exploited her powers but he still had to admit that it was also because of them that he was able to reunite with his love.

And now that she was finally in his arms again, he wasn't ever going to let her go.

 ** **A/N: Finally finished. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Since this is my first attempt at an AU, please go easy on me! ;)****


	6. Confessions of a Vampire Princess

****Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This story takes place in the 3-4 month time skip between chapters 40-41 of the manga and after episode 24 of the anime. Since the anime/manga does not specify what happens in that time gap, I've taken some liberties to make a filler story. This is an AU-ish scene with Yuichiro and female Mika coming to terms with their feelings for each other. I've decided not to rewrite the chapter 36 manga and episode 22 Yuu/Mika anime scene because there are already so many fanfic versions of it. On another note, this story has sexuality, mentions of rape and parent/child incest so I suggest you do not read further if you are offended by such material.****

 ** **Confessions of a Vampire Princess****

Yuichiro Hyakuya slowly opened his eyes when he heard the sound of a door opening and closing softly. Glancing to his night table and the digital alarm clock on it, the raven-haired young man saw that it was just slightly past two in the morning. Wondering who in his household could possibly be up and about at this hour, Yuu sat up glanced out the window of his room from the second story of the house the villagers had given his squad in exchange for their protection from the local monsters, and saw a familiar figure in a white nightgown with long, flowing blond hair, leaving the grounds and making for the local woods.

"Mika?" he asked to himself curiously as he knew his adoptive sister could not hear him. Where was she going at this hour?

Worried, Yuu quickly got up and changed out of his sleepwear into some slacks and a dress shirt before slipping on a pair of shoes and quickly making his way downstairs while trying to be as quiet as possible as to not wake his sleeping squad-mates. After exiting the house, the raven-haired boy made sure to close and lock the door with his copy of the house key before making his way into the woods after his sister.

Mikaela Hyakuya placed her hand on her throat as she made her way into the woods, trying her best to ignore the ache in her throat. The blonde knew she was getting thirsty again and it was stronger than she remembered. Only a day or so had passed since Mika had last fed and she was certain she could last at least another two days before needing to feed again but found to her fear and dismay that she was wrong. The blonde placed a hand on her chest as she finally paused and placed her other hand on a nearby tree, trying to catch her breath.

 _ _No good…__ she thought. __I'm getting thirsty faster every day. What am I to do?__

Although Mika knew her adoptive brother and his squad-mates were more than willing to offer her the blood she needed to sustain herself, the blonde abhorred the thought of having to ask at all, let alone more frequently. Sleeping did help to alleviate Mika's thirst somewhat but it could only do so much before body's need forced her to awake. Fearing that she would go mad and attack her friends in their sleep, the blonde vampire decided to get up and distance herself from the house, hoping that she could find and feed off the blood of an animal to tie her over until the morning came.

"Mika?" the blonde heard a familiar voice call out from behind her. Startled, she spun around and saw her brother looking at her with worry in his eyes. Normally, her enhanced vampiric senses would have easily detected his presence but Mika's growing thirst distracted her to the point that she could notice nothing else.

"Yuu-chan! W-what are you doing here?" she gasped.

"I can say the same of you. What's wrong, Mika?"

When he saw his sister hesitant to answer, the boy figured it out quickly. "You're thirsty, aren't you? Mika, I told you that if you need to feed, please don't hesitate to ask; you have nothing to be ashamed of. There is no shame in asking for what your body needs to survive whether its food or blood."

Mikaela closed her eyes and turned away from Yuichiro as she considered his words. Although the blonde would not admit it, Yuu knew that she was afraid, afraid of hurting him even though she knew he was a seraph and could afford to give her more blood than an ordinary human could without dying. His heart filled with pity and angst at the creature his sister was forced to become, Yuichiro approached her and placed both hands on her shoulders.

"Please, Mika; I don't want you to suffer needlessly. Come inside and we'll get you properly fed."

The blonde wanted to argue but looking into Yuu's sad and worried eyes, she knew she could refuse him nothing and did not resist when he bent over and picked her up, allowing him to carry her bridal style back to their house. With all the muscle she had packed on from combat training as well as fighting humans and vampires alike, Yuichiro knew Mikaela was no light flower but he was able to carry her as easily as if she was, thanks to strength his newly awakened seraph powers have granted him.

When they were back inside the house, Yuu made sure to lock the door behind him before carrying his sister upstairs and into his room. After gently setting Mika on his bed, he went over to the fireplace and lit it up so that the flames would warm and light the room. When Yuu was done lighting the fire, he quickly went into his bathroom and wetted a towel in the sink with some warm water for he noticed that in her haste to get out of the house to protect their other friends, Mika had not bothered to put on any shoes and so her feet were a little dirty. The blonde watched him curiously for a moment before he made his way back to her and she blushed when he started cleaning her bare feet.

"That tickles!" Mika giggled.

Yuichiro could not help smiling. It was so rare to see his sister smile and laugh nowadays considering everything she had been through these past four years since they were forced to part at the gates of Sanguinem. Ironically, Mika seemed most happy and lively when she, Yuu, and the rest of the Hyakuya orphans were still living underground in the cold vampire city as livestock and even he had to admit that despite being slaves to the bloodsuckers, they still had each other and shared many sweet and tender moments together before Ferid Bathory cruelly tore apart their family. Now that they were finally reunited for good, Yuichiro wanted nothing more than to devote his whole life to Mikaela for her happiness meant even more to him than exterminating all the vampires, if such a thing was even possible.

After he had finished cleaning Mika's feet, Yuu set the wash cloth aside before unbuttoning the collar of his shirt, pulling it down, exposing his tender neck to his sister's hungry gaze and cocking his head to the side to allow her access.

"Drink, Mika…"

"Yuu-chan, I…" for a moment, the blonde hesitated; the marks she planted on her brother's neck from her last feeding had not yet healed and now she was about to plant another.

Even though he offered his blood to her willingly, Mikaela still hated having to feed off the boy she loved like a parasite to survive because she could not eat. And although he did not say so, Yuichiro could tell that his sister felt ill at ease sitting at the dining table with him and the rest of their squad-mates knowing that she could consume nothing but blood while everyone around her was eating fruit, meat, bread, butter, desserts, and other things she could no longer enjoy. And unlike Krul, Ferid, and Crowley, Mikaela had not been a vampire so long that she had forgotten how much she missed the taste of real food and drinks; she still remembered the taste of her last meal as a human- the curry that she and Akane had made for dinner the night the Hyakuya children had attempted to escape Sanguinem. Little did she know that except for Yuu, it would be their last meal.

When he noticed his sister had made no attempt to move, Yuichiro moved closer and gently took her in his arms. "Mika, please. You need this and you know it."

"I do, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

Smiling, Yuu gently placed his fingers under Mika's chin and tilted her face up, forcing her to look into his eyes, the beautiful emerald orbs that she had fallen in love with when they had first met upon his arrival at the Hyakuya orphanage the day his parents tried to kill him.

"Like I've told you before: if it will save you, ease your torment, then drink as much as you need…"

"You make it sound so easy; are you not the least bit concerned I could lose control and kill you?"

"But you won't. I trust you, Mika. Even more than I trust myself. So please…"

Although her mind wanted to refuse, the blonde's thirst had the final say in the matter and Mikaela finally gave in to her body's need, leaned forward, and bit her brother but made sure she did so on the other side of his neck so that the marks from her previous feeding session had more time to heal. Yuu closed his eyes gasped softly as he felt Mika's sharp fangs pierce his skin and sink into the vein.

In an attempt to make Yuu more comfortable and help him relax, Mika gently pushed him down on the bed and laid on top of him as she fed on his sweet, delicious blood. This wasn't like the first time he offered her his blood in that run-down convenient store in the city last week when Mika was a sobbing mess on the verge of dying. This time, the atmosphere was much warmer, more comfortable, and…

Enticing.

Despite the fact that she hated being a vampire, Mika sighed blissfully as she took one gulp after another. Not only was Yuu's seraph blood absolutely divine, she also loved the way he reacted to her as she drank. When they were children having their blood drawn by those dreadful machines in Sanguinem, he would squirm uncomfortably in his seat, wanting it to be over as soon as possible. Now, that it was Mika taking his blood, Yuu laid absolutely pliant for her, his eyes closed and face relaxed with a deep blush that went all the way to his ears, his mouth parting in an 'o' as his chest heaved with every breath. He didn't say so (he didn't have to), but Mika could tell that he was absolutely enjoying this.

After a few more moments, Yuichiro found himself starting to feel dizzy, his head spinning as black spots danced in his vision. __I'll die if she drinks too much. But I don't care; to save her life, I would gladly give my own,__ the ravenette thought. But Mikaela did care and when she sensed his hold on her starting to weaken, she withdrew her fangs from his neck, licking the puncture wounds clean before asking her brother if he was all right.

"I'm fine" Yuu insisted. I just need a moment's rest, is all."

Judging from the pallor on the young man's face, Mika started to worry that she might have drunk too much. If her brother was an ordinary human, he would have been dead from all the blood she drank just now.

Sensing her thoughts, Yuichiro simply smiled and said, "I'm all right, stop worrying so much."

After looking her brother over one more time to make sure he wasn't in any immediate danger, Mikaela relented. "Ok, if you say so. I think I should get back to bed and let you rest." The blonde stood up and was about to leave when she felt Yuu's hand close over her wrist.

"Mika, please don't go; I want you to stay here tonight" he begged. Although Mikaela knew she could easily break free of his hold now that he had been weakened by blood loss, the blonde did not move.

"You should rest…" she said but Yuichiro shook his head.

"I'm not really sleepy" he insisted. "I just want to be with you a little longer, please; we rarely get time alone like this and we should enjoy it when we can."

After considering Yuu's plea for a moment, Mika sighed softly and sat back down. Although he __was__ a bit tired from having his blood drained, Yuu was still far from being totally exhausted. This was the first time he and his adoptive sister had been able get together like this since they and the rest of Shinoa's Squad had arrived at the village just a few days ago after escaping the battle at Nagoya Airport, leaving the human and vampire armies to fight out their senseless war. There were so many things Yuu wanted to tell Mika but had never gotten the chance to until now and when she saw the longing look in his eyes, the blonde felt silly that she even considered leaving him, especially since she had obsessed over being reunited with Yuu from the day they were separated until she successfully took him from the Moon Demon Company.

"You're right", Mika said. "I don't know what I was thinking. I just didn't want to keep you up if you needed to sleep."

Yuu smiled. "Even if I was sleepy, I'm willing to lose some sleep just to have you here a bit longer. In fact, sleep is the last thing on my mind right now" he said sheepishly.

Mika raised a brow and was about to ask what he meant when she made a quick glance down Yuu's body and it didn't take her long to see where his true thoughts were. Before the embarrassed blonde could say a word, Yuichiro's lips were on hers, his tongue gently prying her lips open, sliding past them and skillfully avoiding her fangs as it entwined with hers. Although this was Yuu's first time kissing any girl, let alone a vampire girl, Mika could never tell. It was almost as if the young man had planned and thought about it carefully before bringing his desire to fruition.

"Yuu-chan…" she moaned. More than anything, Mika wanted to give in, to indulge the desires of the handsome raven-haired boy who consumed nearly her every thought for the last four years but something made her hesitate and she placed her hands on Yuu's chest, gently pushing him away.

Frowning in disappointment and thinking he had done something wrong, he asked: "What's wrong, Mika? Don't you want me?"

The blonde shook her head. "It's isn't that, Yuu-chan. It's just that… you deserve someone more… pure than me. Someone who hasn't been… so used."

"Are you talking about when you sold yourself to Ferid? Mika, I love you and I don't care about that."

"It wasn't just Ferid…" the blonde said quietly as Yuu's questions brought up some painful memories from before she was sent to the Hyakuya orphanage and later taken to Sanguinem as vampire livestock.

She had never told anyone before, but her history of being violated started long before she even met the silver-haired vampire lord. Born Mikaela Shindo to a Russian man and Japanese woman, Mika was a most beautiful baby girl, possessing both exotic Asian features and fair blonde hair and blue eyes like the westerners Yuu often saw in magazines from his childhood. In fact, Mika was so beautiful that she had unwittingly tempted her own father as she grew until she finally became a tragic victim of his lust by her sixth birthday, inciting the hatred and jealousy of her mother as well. Her father's lust for her also drove Mikaela's mother to join a strange cult where she soon went completely insane, blaming her own daughter for ruining her marriage.

"Mika, what are you trying to say?" Yuu asked, his brow furrowing with concern.

"I'm sorry, Yuu-chan, but I know you are innocent and deserve someone just as pure as yourself…"

Yuichiro found himself staring at his adoptive sister in astonishment. Is that what was bothering her? That he was a virgin and she was not? What did she mean when she said it wasn't "just Ferid?"

"Mikaela…" he began slowly, "I don't care if you are not a virgin; you did what you had to do to provide for me and the other kids. I know you never liked Ferid and would've never sold yourself to him if it weren't for us."

"Ferid wasn't the worst. I was impure long before I even met him. Or you."

Yuichiro frowned as he felt his stomach drop. He had a feeling he knew where this conversation was going. The only other people Mikaela had lived with before she was taken in by the Hyakuya orphanage were her parents so it wasn't hard for him to figure it out.

"You mean…?"

"Yes… I was raped as a child. By my own father. Repeatedly. The first time was when I was six. You see, my parents never had a good relationship. After I was born, my mother noticed that my father paid much more attention to me than her which didn't help. She would scream and throw things at him when she got angry-not that he was any better. Then on my sixth birthday, he lured me into his room, saying that he had a surprise for me. My mother was not home from work yet. And then..." Mika closed her eyes and stopped talking as if it were too painful for her to continue but she didn't have to; it was obvious what happened to her next.

Upon hearing this horrifying revelation, Yuu's felt as though his heart would stop and he found himself completely disgusted, not with Mika, but her father.

"Why did you never tell me this?" he demanded, a little more harshly than he intended.

"Would you want to tell anyone if you were in my place?" she retorted.

Yuichiro fell silent. He knew his sister had a point and he felt guilty for asking such a stupid question. Still, he felt disappointed that Mika had not trusted him enough to confide in him until now. Did she think he would not want her anymore if he knew?

"Didn't your mother do anything when she found out?"

Mika shook her head sadly. "No... in fact, she blamed me. Every time I was raped by him, I cried out for her to save me but she did nothing; in fact, she only felt disgust- at both me and my father."

"Mika…" Yuu began as he gently took her by the shoulders. "I'm so sorry that happened to you. But it wasn't your fault and it doesn't change how I feel about you. Not one bit. Your parents are gone now; they can never hurt you again. So please…"

Before Mika could say a word, Yuu leaned forward and kissed her again, this time, more passionately. He truly did not care if she wasn't as pure as he was and was going to do everything he could to prove it to her. This time, the blonde did not resist which told Yuichiro that Mikaela wanted this just as much as he did, allowing him to pull up her white nightgown, leaving her clad only in her panties which left little to the imagination.

Giving in to her own desires, Mika quickly unbuttoned Yuu's shirt before pushing it off his shoulders, blushing herself when her eyes swept across his bare muscular chest and arms. Unlike her own, Yuichiro's body was laced with battle scars but she didn't dislike them nor did she find them ugly. To her, they were every bit a part of him as the black hair on his head. Before either of them knew it, they made quick work removing what was left of each other's clothes before tossing them aside like unwanted trash.

A smile played on Yuu's lips as he placed his hands under his lover's bare bottom and lifted her up, gently coaxing Mika to spread her legs as he set her down on his lap, right over his painfully hard erection, and groaning when he felt himself sink into her wet heat. Yuu may be a virgin but he still wasn't going to let his lack of experience stop him from trying his best to make his blonde lover feel good.

Mika yelped as she felt Yuu set her down until he was completely inside of her, nipping at her neck and devouring it with his lips before moving on to hers, his arms wrapped tightly around her back as he rocked her lovely body up and down, making the blonde cry with pleasure. This was different from the times Mikaela had sold her blood and body to her ex-benefactor for the sake of her family. Ferid's touch had always been cold, never warm, his kisses rough and bruising, never tender and loving like Yuu's touch and kisses were now. Every time Ferid made love to her, Mika had always endured it but never truly enjoyed it like she did with Yuu.

Yuichiro groaned when he felt Mikaela's naked breasts brushing against his chest as the fire from their loins took them to new heights of pleasure. He had been thinking about Mikaela, thinking about touching her, kissing her, making love to her like this, ever since the first time she drank his blood. The raven-haired boy had never been good with words but he hoped that after tonight, his lover will understand how much he truly cared for her. Despite being a stunningly handsome young man who caught the eyes of countless girls, including Shinoa Hiragi and Mitsuba Sangu, Yuichiro himself had never desired anyone as much as he desired Mikaela Hyakuya. It didn't matter to him if she was a human or vampire; Mika was still Mika no matter what.

"Yuu-chan…" Mika moaned as she buried her face in his neck, arms wrapped tightly around his body, as she struggled to stifle a cry of pleasure to avoid waking the others while resisting the temptation to bite him again.

The blonde arched her back as she tilted her neck back, tightening her muscles around her lover's length as she tried to coax him to climax with her. As he felt his release coming, Yuichiro flipped his lover onto her back and plunged into her body even harder until Mikaela could not hold it in anymore and screamed with pleasure, no longer caring if anybody heard her or not and neither did her lover as they finally came together. Now that he was truly exhausted, Yuu finally collapsed on top of Mika as he struggled to catch his breath.

His head was completely muddled as he laid on top of her now, trying to catch his breath. He felt her tongue against his neck as she trailed her fingers up his back making him shiver, his body still sensitive. He finally lifted his head and searched for her lips again. His fingertips traced her face before settling in her long hair, hair the color of burning gold. Mika's eyes may no longer be blue but Yuu didn't care. To him, every part of her was beautiful. He had missed her and each kiss he received told him she missed him too. Her sweet smile, her kind touch, and her sweet scent. Yuu felt special knowing that he was the only one Mika would reveal this side of herself to.

"I've missed you so much, Yuu-chan…" Mika whispered. "Not a day has gone by since we parted that I haven't thought of you."

"I've missed you too, Mika. When I thought you had died, I wanted to lose myself in vengeance and hatred but now that I know you're alive and here with me, I have a whole new reason to live." Yuu said as he final eased himself from her before cuddling up to Mika's side, taking her in his arms once again in a sweetheart's cradle. Her hair free from its usual tight bun, engulfed them both in a blanket of gold silk. It was ironic that the three feet of hair Mika wanted to get rid of so badly but couldn't because of her vampire regenerative abilities, was keeping them both warm now and she found that she wouldn't trade it for the world.

Exhausted from blood loss and love-making, Yuichiro quickly fell asleep but Mikaela, who didn't need as much sleep being a vampire and all, chose to stay up and watch him a bit longer. Seeing his peacefully sleeping face made the blonde feel like everything she had suffered since becoming a vampire worth it. It was true that she was angry at Krul for forcing her to become a vampire at first, but she now realized that if her dame had let her die, then she would've never gotten the chance to see Yuichirou again, never seen him smile again nor would she have heard his laugh or hear his voice again. And although becoming a vampire was the worst thing that had ever happened to Mikaela after being thrown out of a moving car by her own parents, it enabled her to see the one person that made her life worth living again.

 _ _But for how long?__ Her subconscious whispered to her. In the heat of their passionate lovemaking and tender moments, Mikaela had conveniently ignored such a question but now that she was alone with her thoughts, Ferid's, Krul's, and Lacus's words slowly crept upon her again.

 _ _Does your precious Yuu-chan love you enough to share eternity with you? I'm sure he'd rather die than become one of us!__ Ferid would laugh.

 _ _He may be handsome now but what about in another forty, fifty years? Do you really think you'll be happy watching him age by your side knowing that you yourself will never be able to age with him?__ Lacus had warned her after he discovered that she would never love him because she had already given her heart to her adopted brother.

 _ _I love you like my own daughter, Mikaela. I understand why you want to save Yuichiro so badly but I must warn you that with things the way they are now, your love for him will only bring you pain…__ Krul had told her sadly before sending her to the front lines but not before giving Mika her approval to vanish in order to find Yuichiro.

The words of her vampire brethren haunted Mika and she didn't want to think about them but her subconscious would give her no peace.

 _ _He will grow old… and he will die…__

 _ _No, I will find a way to become human again so I can grow old with him!__

 _ _And what if you can't? What if he dies of old age before a cure can be found? Do you really think he's willing to throw away his humanity and become a vampire just for you alone?__

 _ _He loves me… I know he would.__

At least, that was what Mika wanted to believe; she desperately wished and hoped that there was a way for her to become human again so she wouldn't have to ask Yuu to become a vampire, the thing he hated most in this world even though she herself was one. And even if there was no war between the two races, what kind of life could Mika have with Yuu? Not only did she stop aging once she had his blood but as a vampire, her womb was also barren; she would never be able to bear Yuichiro any children and give him a family for while vampires could use their blood to turn humans, they cannot naturally reproduce. Would he care? Even if he said he didn't now, her lover might change his mind in the future.

 _ _No… I mustn't think like that. I must be positive for both our sakes. I just know we'll find a way as long as we love each other…__

Those were the last thoughts to cross the blonde's mind before she finally fell asleep in the arms of the boy she loved…

 ** **A/N: Ok, I've decided to end it here. Being a Yuu and Mika shipper, I really do hope they can be together one way or the other. I'll keep my fingers crossed as I await the new manga chapters lol!****


	7. Shameless Temptation

**Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This story is an alternate version of the bus trip scene between chapter 47 and 49 of the manga which has currently not been animated yet. Instead of stopping by someplace for the squad to simply use the restroom, Ferid and Crowley stops by an abandoned hotel so Shinoa's squad can rest for the night. This particular scene takes place after the squad's discussion on whether or not they can trust Ferid and after he reveals to them what really caused the apocalypse that wiped out the majority of the human race eight years prior. This is a continuing sequel to my other fem Yuu and Mika fics 'Only if For a Night' and 'Trust and Betrayal' so I suggest you read those first before reading this one.**

 **Shameless Temptation**

Yuichiro Hyakuya looked out the window of the bus and sighed as she watched the sun beginning to set in the horizon. Although Ferid's drug had worked in suppressing her demon and stopped her from going on a deadly rampage, the after-effects made her tired and weak for the last few hours. Mikaela knew this and insisted on taking the seat beside her where he could protect and make her comfortable. For the last few hours, Yuu found herself leaning against her lover's chest, relishing the feeling of his strong arms around her, making her feel safe because she knew he would die himself before he let anyone harm her.

Not like Yuu or the rest of the squad are in any immediate danger from their 'hosts', Ferid Bathory and Crowely Eusford. If the two progenitors who discovered their whereabouts for the past four months at the seaside village had truly wanted to kill them, they would all likely be dead now except for Yuu and Mika whom they seemed to need. Even so, Mikeala still had no reason to trust his vampire brethren, especially Ferid; the only reason he agreed to follow the bastard was because of the drug Ferid possessed to suppress Yuichiro's demon. The blond understood the situation all too well; his ex-benefactor was holding Yuu's humanity hostage to get both of them back because they possessed the seraph gene even though Mika himself had yet to manifest any powers remotely like his adoptive sister's.

Mikaela was shaken out of his thoughts when he heard a stomach growl. Knowing that it wasn't his own, the blond smiled and asked, "Are you hungry, Yuu-chan?"

The ravenette blushed, embarrassed at her body's display of her need for food. And drink. It was almost evening and Yuu just remembered that she had nothing to eat since her breakfast of Kimizuki's eggs, bacon, and French toast this morning.

"A little" she confessed. "I think the others may be too since we didn't have lunch today."

"I understand", Mika said gently before he called out to the seventh progenitor. "Hey, Ferid, Yuu-chan and the rest of her squad are hungry. And tired. Is it possible for us to stop someplace to get food and rest? In case you forgot, humans do need to eat food to survive."

Ferid smiled as he rested his chin in hand and pretended to be in deep thought. He knew that Mika and Shinoa's squad would ask sooner or later and that it could be another day or two before they finally reached their destination.

"Of course, Mika dear!" he answered cheerfully. "I think I know just the place!"

After giving his approval, Ferid turned and went to the front of the bus to speak to Crowley who was driving. Although they could not hear what the two progenitors were saying, the squad assumed that the two had come to an agreement as to where everyone can stay for at least the night. The place Ferid chose was a modest roadside inn that had not been in use since the apocalypse of eight years ago.

Fortunately for the squad, Kimizuki and Yoichi were able to turn on the electricity and water (with Crowley's help) and Shinoa and Mitsuba were able to find clean bed sheets and towels tucked away in the inn's storage for the ones that were on the beds and towel racks gathered dust over the last eight years since there had been no staff to clean and maintain the place. And as much as Mika despised his ex-benefactor, he had to admit that Ferid _was_ good at planning ahead for he brought some canned foods with him before picking the squad up since he knew their trip could last a few days and any place they stopped by to rest was unlikely to have anything safe to eat such as the inn they were staying at now; all the boxed and canned foods in the kitchen storage have long since gone bad.

As the squad sat around the inn's main lobby eating the food Ferid had provided for them while he and Crowley were out making a brief patrol of the inn grounds to make sure they weren't being followed or watched by anyone from the human or vampire armies, everyone noticed that Yuichiro herself was eating voraciously as if she hadn't eaten in a week. When the ravenette finally gagged on a piece of meat from the canned soup she was eating, Shinoa, who was sitting right next to her, started pounding Yuu in the back with her fist until she coughed up the chunk lodged in her throat.

"Take it easy, Yuu! There's plenty of food to go around!" she said.

After she had coughed a few more times, Yuu placed a hand on her chest before thanking her squad leader.

"Thanks, Shinoa; I needed that."

Although she couldn't stand the Hiragi girl when they had first met, Yuu now felt grateful to have Shinoa by her side, especially when she made stupid mistakes like trying to eat too much too fast. Mika could not help but find the scene between the two girls cute. Like Yuu herself, he also disliked Shinoa at first, but now felt like he could trust her to look for his love's best interests. After all, Shinoa did defy her eldest brother and next head of the Hiragi family, Kureto, to protect Yuichiro as well as the rest of her squad and Mikaela himself. She even came up with the idea of her squad pitching in their blood to sustain him out of concern that it wouldn't be good for Yuu's health if she kept losing her blood on a regular basis.

"Does becoming a demon really make you so hungry, Yuu?" Kimizuki asked curiously.

The ravenette was silent a moment as she thought her friend's question over. "I'm not sure; it does take a lot of energy out of me. But it may also be because I haven't eaten since this morning that I'm so hungry."

"Yuu, none of us have eaten since this morning and we're still not wolfing our food down like you" Mitsuba chided gently.

The Sangu girl's insensitive comment earned her a glare from her squad leader. Even if Mitsuba didn't mean anything bad by it, Shinoa did not want to risk Yuu becoming a demon again even though it was unlikely that such a mundane insult would make her angry enough to transform.

Ever the peace-maker, Yoichi intervened before Shinoa could retort to Mitsuba's comment.

"Now, now, it's not Yuu's fault. She used to live Sanguinem where food was scarce so it's understandable if she's used to eating like she may not have enough tomorrow. Right, Mika?"

As Yoichi turned to Mika, he gave the blond a look as if asking him to confirm what he just said to prevent an argument between Shinoa and Mitsuba since he knew Mika and Yuu used to live in the cold underground vampire city together.

Mikaela nodded. "Yes. When were livestock, the vampires only gave us enough food and medicine to survive, just the bare necessities. But it wasn't always enough. Yuu-chan often got sick from her unwillingness to drink the nutrient-replenishing pack since she thought it tasted so awful. I often had to go out and get food for her and the rest of the Hyakuya orphans. But even so, she still chose not to eat too much just so that the other kids could have more food. As did I. I'm sure if any of our other brothers or sisters survived, they would be eating just the same as Yuu-chan."

"That's understandable." Narumi agreed. "Anyway, I'm concerned about following those two vamps. Do any of you seriously think we can trust them?"

Everyone was silent for a moment, even Yuichiro. Nobody really wanted to answer that so Mika, having served under Ferid and fought alongside Crowley for four years, felt obligated to.

"Crowley said he has no goal. Only Ferid does. And since we don't know what he's really after, we can't trust him. Crowley only follows Ferid's orders meaning he can either help us or betray us depending on what Ferid decides. He doesn't care either way" the blond answered grimly.

"I knew it was a mistake to agree to follow them from the start" Narumi said, clenching his fists. "Since you all agree the vamps are untrustworthy, maybe we should take advantage of their absence and escape while we can."

"Escape to where?" Mitsuba asked. "We're out in the middle of nowhere and the only method of transportation we have is the bus we came here on and I doubt we can just take it from under their noses."

"Don't forget, the JIDA are still after us. It wouldn't surprise me if they're still sending their soldiers out to hunt us or at least Yuichiro. If there's one thing I've learned about the Hiragis is that they're a power-hungry bunch and won't be satisfied with just my sister alone" Kimizuki said bitterly before turning to his squad leader. "No offense, Shinoa" he apologized in case his words offended her.

The Hiragi girl smiled. "None taken, Kimizuki; I actually agree with all of you. I may not know Ferid as well as Mika, but I believe anyone with eyes in their head can tell he's not to be trusted just by looking at him. The problem is, Guren, my sister, the Hiragis, and the rest of the JIDA are just as untrustworthy. The only exception would be Shinya but I have not heard from him since we left Nagoya so I don't know what his situation is now, assuming he's still alive. If he is, he's likely imprisoned so there's really nothing he can do to help us."

"We also need Ferid's drug to help Yuu. That _is_ why we agreed to come with him in the first place, remember? He may be untrustworthy as you all say, but fortunately, he's the only one who can help her now." Yoichi reminded them.

Everyone was silent. As much as they all hated to admit it, they knew Yoichi was right. The olive-eyed boy may be shy at times, but he was certainly wise. As the squad continued eating their dinner, Yoichi turned to Yuichiro. Since this concerned the young ravenette more than any of them, he wanted to know what she thought.

"I notice you've been very quiet this whole time, Yuichiro. That isn't like you at all. What do you think of all this?"

Yuu was startled at her friend's sudden question. "I'm not sure what you mean! I guess I didn't know what to say because I'm still in shock."

"Over what Ferid told you about Guren?" Mika asked. "Well, it wouldn't surprise me; it's not every day you find out the person who raised you is responsible for over six billion deaths."

Yuu nodded sadly. "But how can we be certain Ferid is telling the truth since he's as untrustworthy as you say, Mika?"

The blond sighed. "Yes, I know Ferid is untrustworthy. But even he can be truthful whenever it suits or benefits him. There is nothing more unnatural, more wrong, than bringing the dead back to life. In every culture around the world all throughout time, revival of the dead is the ultimate taboo."

Kimizuki scratched his head. "So let me get this straight: some dead humans are revived which incurs punishment from heaven and the angel of destruction appears and destroys the world. Is that it? My sister grew wings like an angel but it looked like she was bound with chains. Not to mention the monsters that appeared."

"I wonder if that's what the Seraph of the End is..." Yuu pondered. "Could it be about humans forcefully trying to control the angels God sent to punish humanity for our insolence?"

Shinoa shook her head. "Could be. There's no way to be sure, of course. As squad leader, I feel it's in our best interest to follow Ferid and Crowley-at least for now. Not only does he have Yuu's medicine, there we may also be able to get some useful information out of him."

"You may be right" Mika agreed, "But do not doubt that he will betray us once we're no longer of any use to him; we have to be ready for that when it comes."

"I believe it" Narumi said. "That's why we should betray him first; come up with a plan and formation to kill him."

"I agree but I would not advise that. Not with our current strength" Mika warned.

To everyone's surprise, Yuu spoke up. "I think I can do it if I let my demon take over. He says we only need three seconds..."

"Don't even think about it, Yuichiro" Shinoa warned. "Your demon is even more unreliable."

The ravenette frowned. Her squad leader only used that tone with her when she was dead serious about something. And despite her playful demeanor and the fact that she was nice enough to humor Yuu sometimes, this was the one thing Shinoa will not budge with her on.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, the Hiragi girl saw that it was almost nine 'o clock. "Look, everyone, its getting late. We're not going to be able to do anything tonight so its best that we just turn in. We can come up with a plan to deal with Ferid later."

As much as Yuichiro wanted to argue, she knew Shinoa was right. Although Yuu had slept for most of the bus trip here, she still felt tired from the after affects of Ferid's drug so she thought it may be best to turn in and hope the medicine will wear off by morning.

"You're right" the ravenette said. "I still feel a bit tired. And I need a hot shower too. Mika, could you stay nearby in case my demon shows any sign of awakening?"

"Of course, Yuu-chan" Mika answered gently.

Even if she didn't ask, he would have volunteered anyway. The way she is now, Yuichiro cannot be left alone, especially with Ferid nearby. Standing up from his seat on the sofa, Mika offered Yuu his hand which she accepted. After they had stood up, the blond announced to their squad that they will be heading to their room. "We'll be going now. Please have a good night, everyone."

The squad tried to hide their smiles but were unsuccessful, making the couple feel a little embarrassed. But in the end, all they said was "Goodnight."

 **SSSSSS**

"Mika, aren't you tired?" Yuu asked innocently as she looked over to the window where her lover stood, looking outside as if watching for something.

Out of his vampire guard uniform and clad in more casual pants and a button-up shirt, Mika looked almost like any ordinary human. With his pointed ears and fangs hidden, the blond's ruby-red eyes were the only visible clue of his vampirism. And as much as she hated vampires, the ravenette had to admit she liked the way Mika looked in their uniforms but it was still refreshing to see him clad in normal clothing whenever possible.

The blond smiled as he tore his gaze from the window and looked back at his lover who was now lying in bed, also out of uniform and clad in a white nightgown. Yuichiro's sword was placed on the dresser but Mikaela still kept his nearby; he had always felt much more secure having his sword within reach. Normally, his lover did too but since Mika was here, she could relax her guard at least somewhat. "I'm ok" he answered. As a vampire, I don't need as much sleep as you."

"I know but I'd sleep better if you were next to me..." Yuu said as she made an adorable pout, knowing her lover won't be able to resist.

Mika smiled as he went over and kissed her on the lips. "I will" he promised. "I just want to make sure this place is secure for us, is all."

The ravenette smiled and closed her eyes. It looked like Ferid's medicine had not worn off yet and she was still tired so Yuu fell asleep quickly after she had heard Mika's promise. And from the look of it, the drug made her sleep soundly too which is all the more reason the blond needed to stay nearby to protect her. Since the inn was abandoned, the squad was free to choose any room they wished to use for the night which was, of course, the largest finest ones available. The room Yuu and Mika shared was spacious and had a king-sized bed as well as a bathroom with usable toiletries which they used to their advantage to shower off the grime from their journey. The blond could not help smiling as he gazed on the lovely face of his beloved.

Born Yuichiro Amane to a young Japanese couple barely out of high school, she had been cross-named at birth because her parents had wished for a son and raised her as such for the first eight years of her life. As a result, Yuu had gotten so used to living as a boy that she continued to keep up the charade even after her parents passed away. It wasn't until Yuu was examined by a vampire doctor after the Hyakuya children were taken to Sanguinem that Mika discovered that his handsome orphanage brother was really a beautiful sister. Seeing her sleep so peacefully, one could easily mistake Yuichiro for a sleeping angel.

As his gaze wandered down from her face to her neck, Mika frowned when he saw the light scar on Yuu's throat, caused by the sword of the very man who raised her when he attempted to kidnap her at Nagoya. Had Mika not been there, Guren might have gotten away with Yuu as his hostage and prisoner. Even if the man was possessed by his demon like Shinoa claimed, Mika still felt that what he did to Yuu was inexcusable and would have loved nothing more than to run Guren Ichinose through with his sword and kill him.

But if he did that, his sister would have been devastated for despite everything that had happened between them, she still cared for her guardian and Mika could not blame her; he felt the same way about his vampire mother, Krul Tepes. Like Guren, Krul had saved him for her own purposes, making him a vampire against his will so that he would be useful to her. And that really wasn't any different from Guren saving Yuichiro and secretly experimenting on her for four years to force her hidden seraph powers to the surface. But at least Krul had been honest with him about her intentions from the start. Guren, on the other hand, had been nothing but deceptive since the day he took her under his wing.

But as much as he despised the man, Mika knew there was no point in having such thoughts and was about to turn in himself when he heard a soft knock at the door. Knowing that the rest of Shinoa's Squad must be asleep by now, the blond made sure his sword was in hand before he looked out the peephole of the door and saw the last person he wanted to see and was tempted to ignore him until he went away but Ferid knew Mika too well. Knew that he would still be up, even if only to watch over his raven-haired lover and that Mika couldn't afford to displease him if he wanted the drug Yuu needed to keep her demon under control.

Mika opened the door slightly. "Yes? What is it you want, Ferid? Yuu-chan is sleeping now so whatever it is, can it wait till morning?"

The seventh progenitor feigned hurt even though he was used to Mika's rudeness. "Why, Mika dear! I'm hurt you would say such a thing! I've only come to bring you a gift and maybe check up on you and your princess as well. It won't take long, what do you say?"

Mika scowled but he knew Ferid wouldn't leave until he granted his 'request' so he stepped aside and allowed the noble in. After closing the door, the blond said, "Please make this quick, if you don't mind."

Though he was genuinely curious to see what his ex-benefactor had brought him, Mika still didn't want him staying too long, especially with Yuu asleep and vulnerable on the bed.

As if reading his mind, Ferid smiled. "Relax, Mika dear. If I had wanted to kill you and your precious Yuu-chan, you'd both be dead by now. Anyway, I wanted to give you this..."

The blond watched curiously as his ex-benefactor reached into his pocket and offered him a vial of blood, confusing him.

"Whose blood is that? Yours? Well, thank you but I don't really need it."

"I can see that", Ferid said cheerfully. "Your new eyes look very pretty. Whose blood made it finally happen?"

"Never mind that..."

"Ah, I see. Anyway, to answer your question, no this is not my blood. But I'm sure you would be able to recognize it. Go ahead."

Although he wanted to refuse, Mikaela was genuinely curious so he took the vial from Ferid and pried open the lid. He recognized the scent right away.

"Queen Krul..." he said quietly before snapping the lid shut and putting the vial in his shirt pocket. As soon as he smelled the blood of his dame, the blond understood right away what Ferid was trying to tell him.

As if reading Mika's mind, the noble smiled. "That's right. Your 'mother' still lives. And this is proof. I'm sure you can tell the blood is fresh and has only been drawn recently."

"What have you done with Krul? Where is she?" Mika demanded.

"You will find out. In due time. Right now, aren't you happy to know she's still alive?"

"How were you able to get this? I doubt she just sat there pliantly and allowed you to take her blood."

"Actually, our lovely queen did. Because she wanted you to have it, even if it's useless to you now that you have your precious Yuu-chan. So tell me, was it her blood that changed you for good? Did you make love to her?"

Mika felt his cheeks burn at the intrusive question and wanted to strike Ferid but he knew it would accomplish nothing so he resisted the temptation. Clenching his teeth and fists, he snarled "I really don't think that's any of your business!"

Even though the seventh progenitor did not say so outright, it didn't take Mika long to realize that Ferid was holding Queen Krul as well as Yuichiro's humanity hostage to force them to follow him. His vampire mother just happened to be additional insurance just in case Mika and the rest of Shinoa's squad considered backing out and trying to find another way to suppress Yuichiro's demon.

"Oh, forgive me, I didn't realize that was such a sensitive topic for you!" the noble apologized mockingly. When Ferid moved past him and approached Yuu's bed, Mika was startled and quickly grabbed him by the wrist.

"Where do you think you're going?" he demanded.

"I just wanted to check up your princess to see how she's doing. After that, I'll leave, I promise." The noble answered innocently.

Although Mika did not want Ferid anywhere near his love, he had to agree if it will get the bastard to leave sooner. After silently reminding himself that it would not be in Ferid's best interest to harm Yuu, Mika released his hand but made sure to follow the noble until they both stood by the ravenette's bedside, looking down at her sleeping face.

"What a lovely girl she is..." the seventh progenitor exclaimed. "I can see why you're so enamored with her. But I must warn you, Mika, my drug can only work for so long. And even if she could live normally as a human with you, how long do you think your happiness will last?"

Mika was silent as softly bit his lip and lowered his eyes. He knew what Ferid was getting at. Krul herself had asked him the same thing before he left Sanguinem to find Yuu.

Knowing exactly what the blond was thinking, the noble smiled as he leaned towards Mika slightly, whispering into this ear.

"It doesn't have to be that way, Mika, dear. All you have to do is ask and I can give her to you! Think about it, just one drop of my blood and your angel can be young and beautiful always... as she is now."

Mika shook his head. "Don't even think about it, Ferid..." he growled.

The noble laughed softly, keeping his voice down to avoid waking the sleeping girl before them. "But I'm sure you have. And she as well. Have you ever attempted to turn a human before, Mika? It's not as easy as it looks. Timing and precision are everything. Otherwise..."

Although Ferid did not elaborate further, Mikaela knew exactly what he meant. They both knew he had no experience turning a human and the slightest mishap on his part could easily result in Yuichiro's death. Even the oldest, most powerful, and experienced progenitors have failed to turn humans from time to time but his ex-benefactor had a much greater chance of success than Mika himself did. But even so, the blond refused to accept because he knew better than anyone that Ferid's gifts always came with a price and he did not even want to think about what his ex-benefactor will expect in return for his offer.

"No. She would not want that. And neither do I" Mika answered.

Ferid shrugged his shoulders. "Suit yourself. Anyway, as I promise, I'll be leaving now. Have a good night, Mika, dear. Remember, if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me", the noble said in a happy sing-song tone as he turned and finally left the room, closing the door behind him.

Mika didn't think he could leave soon enough and as soon as Ferid closed the door, the blond quickly went over and locked it. The seventh progenitor was truly shameless. Even now, he still tried to bribe Mikaela after everything that had happened between them. They may need Ferid's drug and his help to find Queen Krul but Mika was determined never to accept anything from his ex-benefactor again and wanted their 'alliance' to be over as soon as possible. Even though he still did not trust Shinoa's squad completely, he was still willing to work with them if their help could finally free him and Yuichiro from Ferid for good.

And more than anything, Mikaela Hyakuya looked forward to that day.

 **A/N: Ok, I've decided to end it here. Ferid is a shameless bastard so I can see him doing something like this, even in the canon story. He's one of my favorite anime villans ever; OnS just wouldn't be as good without him! ;)**


	8. Sisters in Arms

****Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This AU takes place after chapter 52 of the manga with fem!Mika opening up to Shinoa and Mitsuba a bit more about her feelings for Yuichiro as well as her own past and fears as a vampire.****

 ** **Sisters in Arms****

"So how are you feeling, Mika?" Shinoa asked gently as she examined the young blonde vampire's upper arms which were bare after she had removed her uniform and stripped down to her undergarments at the younger girl's request.

Not surprisingly, Mikaela had milky white skin, the result of living underground in the vampire city for nearly half a decade as well as her mixed ethnic background as the daughter of a Russian man and Japanese woman. Like with their hair, which would always remain the same length as when they were made, a vampire's skin-tone also remained the same color and does not change regardless of sun exposure or lack of.

"I feel fine, Shinoa, really. Its not necessary to fuss over me so much, especially since you know vampires can heal from these kind of things quickly" Mika said quietly as she rubbed the areas where her arms had been sliced clean off by Fuola Honte, a tenth level vampire progenitor whom she had engaged in confrontation with when the party arrived at Ferid's mansion. The same arms that Mitsuba helped her re-attach shortly after.

Ironically, it had been Crowley Eusford who destroyed Fuola and allowed them to enter the forbidden home of the seventh progenitor where Mika was now being examined by Shinoa and Mitsuba in one of Ferid's luxurious bedrooms as she sat on a queen-sized bed with satin sheets and comforters.

"Yes, I know you can heal from wounds quickly and re-attach your severed limbs, Mika. But that doesn't prevent you from feeling pain, does it?" Mitsuba persisted.

The blonde sighed. "Yes, you're right about that, Mitsuba. But to a vampire, no battle wound is as painful as the constant thirst for blood. Surely you must know this."

"We do" Shinoa answered. "Speaking of which, how are you holding out on that?"

Mikaela frowned. Though she had just fed from Yuichiro the day before and can easily go another two to three days without feeding, it still did not mean she would not be tempted at the sight of blood.

"I'll be ok, I just fed from Yuu-chan recently" she answered quietly.

Shinoa frowned. "Are you sure, Mika? You looked rather… hungry when Narumi cut himself in front of you. Not that I approved of the method he used to test your willpower, but I'm still concerned for you all the same."

The blonde vampire narrowed her eyes. __"Concerned,__ Shinoa? About what? My well-being or that I might lose control over my thirst and attack one of you?"

"Mika, I didn't mean it like that," the Hiragi girl said. "I won't deny your self-control is something to be concerned about but I still trust that you won't deliberately hurt Yuichiro or any of us. And I __am__ concerned for your well-being just as much if not more; we all are."

"Well, I appreciate your sentiment but it is not necessary," the blonde vampire said more coldly than she intended. "I'm perfectly capable of controlling myself. If I wasn't, I would have killed Yuu-chan a long time ago, the first time I drank from him."

Mitsuba had to resist the urge to sigh in frustration. Despite the best efforts of nearly everyone in Shinoa's squad to make friends with Mikaela, the blonde seemed to take everything they say and do the wrong way. In that, she was just as stubborn as her orphanage brother, who was now her lover, Yuichiro.

"Mika, you aren't being fair. If you want us to have faith in you, then you need to have a bit more faith in us as well. I understand it might be hard to do that after what you've been through but would it hurt for you to at least try?"

Mikaela glared at the Sangu girl for her audacious question. "How dare you ask me such a thing, human? You have never experienced the hell I went through after I was turned and so you cannot understand what it is to be a vampire. I didn't ask for this, it was forced upon me by the vampire queen herself. I never had any choice in the matter!"

Before Mitsuba could reply, Shinoa intervened while giving the other girl a glare. Although her heart was in the right place, she knew Mitsuba had an unfortunate tendency to rile others up by wording things the wrong way.

"No, you're right, Mika. We cannot know what its like to be a vampire ourselves but we can imagine. And I imagine you denying your thirst for blood would be no different than us denying our need for food and water, am I right?"

Mikaela was silent for a moment. To be honest, it _was_ somewhat of a fair comparison. Just as vampires could go for a few days without blood, humans could also go for a few days without food and water but it would be painful and weaken them. But even so, it wasn't exactly the same.

"It's not just our endless thirst for blood. We cannot eat or drink or enjoy sunlight because all of our senses or oversensitive. Nor can we grow and change over time or produce children. It's like being frozen forever in time in an ageless, meaningless existence."

Taking pity on the blonde vampire, Shinoa gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hush, Mika, your existence is __not__ meaningless just because you're a vampire. If you thought it was, you would have forsaken Yuichiro a long time ago and lived only to quench your thirst for blood."

"I fear I still might…" Mika said sadly as she placed her face in her hands. To the other two girls, she looked like she was fighting the urge to cry.

"What do you mean?" Mitsuba asked curiously.

Although Mikeala normally did not like disclosing the more intimate details of her life to others aside from Yuichiro and her former orphanage brothers and sisters who were now deceased, she felt as though she badly wanted to confide in someone about the disturbing truth about all vampires that Crowley Eusford had revealed to her only the night before.

"Crowley told me that the longer a vampire lives, the more they will lose their human feelings until they care about nothing but just that: quenching their thirst for blood. I didn't want to believe him but I cannot deny that I __am__ slowly starting to lose my emotions. You saw how Yuu-chan reacted when Ferid taunted him with Akane's head? I was also upset but nowhere near as enraged as he was" Mika confessed grimly as she lifted her face and looked Shinoa and Mitsuba in the eyes.

"Well that doesn't mean anything. It could just be because Yuu is overly emotional, not because you're losing your emotions, Mika", Shinoa suggested.

Even though the Hiragi girl tried to sound reassuring, deep down, she also had her doubts but tried to stay positive, if only for Mikaela's sake.

"I want to believe that. But I can't deny that I am slowly starting to care less and less about the things that once mattered so much to me. Things I once found beautiful and fascinating can barely hold my interest now."

"But you still care for Yuichiro who obviously cares about you just as much. You talk about losing your emotions, yet you got upset when I merely suggested you try to have a little more faith in us. And you also worry about becoming a monster who lives for nothing but satisfying their blood lust. If you can still feel concern for those things, then you are __not__ losing your emotions the way Crowley claims" Mitsuba pointed out, causing Shinoa and Mika to look at her in surprise.

Although the Sangu girl could be a bit blunt and insensitive sometimes, she could, incredibly, also offer remarkable insight into the character of others from time to time.

Mika nodded. "It's true, I do love Yuu-chan. That hasn't changed. And I'm going to fight to the very end to make sure it doesn't."

Shinoa smiled as she patted Mika on the shoulder. "That's the spirit, Mika. So no more of this talk of losing your feelings. Yuu himself would not want that. Although he's clumsy with his words sometimes, it's obvious to all of us that he __does__ love you. From the moment we saw you challenge the entire Moon Demon Company to get him back without hesitation, Mii-chan and I knew we couldn't compete; the only question was if Yuichiro would make room for you in his heart even though you've become a vampire. And he has. Never forget that, Mikaela."

At the other girl's words, Mika finally had to smile. Though they were human and she was no longer one of them, Shinoa and Mitsuba continued to treat her as if she was. They also showed her more caring than most of the other vampires she's been around for years while serving as a swordmaiden to Queen Krul Tepes.

Even when she was human, the blonde often found herself the object of scorn for selling herself to Ferid Bathory in exchange for the noble providing her small family with decent food and medicine as well as other things needed to live comfortably in the bleak vampire city of Sanguinem. It was the only time she had ever used her beauty as an advantage to capture the interest of a man she had no real desire to be with. But as long as she could make Yuu and the other Hyakuya orphans happy, Mikaela was willing to do anything and she did.

Back then, even the older livestock boys, who often harassed and molested the younger girls in Sanguinem, would not approach Mikaela as soon as they heard rumors that a vampire lord had already sampled her. The girls themselves were just as cruel, usually whispering about Mika, calling her a "vampire's whore" behind her back when they thought she couldn't hear though they never dared say so to her face out of fear that her benefactor would bring his wrath down upon them for dissing his favorite "concubine", which she was at the time.

But none of that mattered anymore. Especially now that Mikaela finally had the boy she loved back as well as the support of his other friends of their relationship. As things are now, she honestly couldn't ask for anything more other than a chance to become human again if it were at all possible.

"Thank you, both of you. That does make me feel better" Mika admitted.

"You're welcome, Mika. We're glad we can help you and Yuichiro, we really are" Mitsuba insisted. "Just remember that we're here for you just as much as he is, as sisters in arms."

Mikaela laughed, something she had not done earnestly in years. "Sisters in arms… I like the sound of that."

Shinoa smiled. "So do we, Mika," she said as she stuck her hand out, palm down.

Taking the cue, Mitsuba and even Mikaela joined in.

"Sisters in arms."

 ** **A/N: Sorry for the short length. This is just a snippit I thought of while I'm bored at work. But I hope you all liked it! ;)****


	9. Dancing on Knives

**A/N: Ok to all Guren/fem!Yuu shippers, I've tried my utmost to make this story as exciting and true to real life circumstances as possible in regards to the sparring scenes and CPR. This is an alternate version to chapter 17 of my fem!Yuu fanfic "Who She is Within" that I wrote as fan-service for those who want a smuttier ending than the original version. If you like this story, which I felt could also stand alone as a one-shot, please check out the story its based off of and let me know what you think because reviews are like digital hugs to me :D**

 **Dancing on Knives**

 **October 20, 2018**

"Hey, Guren, not that I'm complaining, but why have you brought me here?"

Fourteen-year-old Yuichiro asked her twenty-two year-old guardian as she tried to keep up with his slightly faster pace. The lieutenant colonel and his ward were hiking up the slope of a hill leading up to a waterfall, their packs loaded with enough supplies for a three-day trip along with their swords which were tucked away in sheaths under wraps. Both of them were dressed in white kimono shirts with Guren wearing loose-fitting brown trousers and Yuichiro wearing a loose tan skirt just slightly above the knees with a slit on the side to allow freedom of movement. Both wore tall leather boots to protect their feet and legs from rubble on the stone path as well.

In addition to wearing a female uniform at school, Yuichiro had also gotten used to dressing like a girl outside as well over the last year. Her once bobbed hair now hung half-way down her back and had to be tied into a ponytail to prevent accidents during training exercises, leaving her bangs as well as two loose locks to frame her face, a style she picked up from Mito.

"Why, for training of course," Guren answered as he turned around and gave Yuichiro a look of amusement. "Did you think this was going to be a vacation?"

"Well, no. But why here, of all places?" the girl asked in puzzlement. "It looks more suitable for camping and hiking than combat training."

At the younger girl's implication, Guren grinned and made a gesture for Yuichiro to come closer. The increasing volume of the roar of the waterfall ahead would have made it difficult for her to hear him otherwise.

"You're wrong about that, Yuu," he said as soon as she was within earshot. "It's actually quite the opposite. This is going to be a bit different from training at home. If Shinya and the others have not told you this yet, then you must know that real battlefields are rarely ever smooth, even, and unobstructed like where you've been training up until now. Do you understand?"

The ravenette released a soft gasp as she looked at her surroundings. Although she knew it was unlikely, Yuichiro was hoping Guren intended to have her do physical conditioning at the waterfall area but spar with her someplace else.

But since when had she ever been that lucky?

When Guren was sure his ward finally understood, he gave her his next order. Pointing to the highest ground where the water was falling off the ledge to the lake below, he said, "Leave our things here, Yuu. We're going up there. With nothing but our swords."

Yuichiro gulped and stood where she was in silence for a moment. Upon seeing his ward hesitate, Guren gave her a teasing smile.

"What's the matter, Yuu? Scared?"

The girl scoffed when she heard her guardian's mocking lilt before dropping her bag right where it was, keeping only her sheathed sword in hand and pulled off the cloth cover. After being under his wing for two years, Guren knew just how to rile Yuichiro into doing what he wanted or needed when she hesitated.

Such as questioning her courage. Or pride. Or ability to fight.

"Not at all. Why don't you do the honors and lead the way, _sir,"_ she sneered.

"With pleasure, Yuu," Guren shot back with a smirk as he dropped his own bag, retaining only his sword. Nodding his head towards their destination, the older man gave her his cue to follow as he pulled off the cloth off his own weapon as well.

As the pair approached the summit of the waterfall, the ravenette slowly brought her hand to the hilt of her sword, her eyes never leaving her guardian's back, as she began to count quietly in her mind…

 _5_

 _4_

 _3_

 _2_

 _1_

No sooner did she complete her countdown, Yuichiro saw Guren quickly pull his sword from its sheath and spun around, almost with vampiric speed, before attempting to send the blade crashing down on her head. Had she not been prepared and withdrew her own blade in time to block his attack by holding it up horizontally with both arms above her head, the older man might have easily cleaved it in two like a hot knife through butter. That was, if he didn't have enough control to hold back at the last second.

Which they both knew he did. But that didn't mean Yuichiro could allow herself to be careless. Even the best soldiers still made slip-ups, after all.

"Very good, Yuu," Guren praised with a grin. "It looks like you've been listening to my advice after all."

"I think you give me too little credit, sir" the younger girl said coolly, trying to imitate her guardian's confident demeanor. It looked like fighting wasn't the only thing Yuichiro had picked up from him.

"On the contrary, Yuu. I have more faith in your abilities than you would think," he countered and demonstrated his point by pressing his sword down a bit harder, forcing his ward to resist.

Although he could still overpower Yuichiro if he chose, Guren knew he would have to put a bit more effort into it because he could tell she was considerably stronger than she was when he took her under his wing two years ago. With the luxury of one-on-one training from six members of an elite Demon Army squad as well as her own quick thinking, sharp wits, and determination, Yuichiro had learned multiple skills in less than half the time expected of a standard JIDA cadet.

"You've done well in expecting the unexpected. I can also tell you've been taking Goshi's physical conditioning to heart. Good. Because you'll need to get as strong as you possibly can for one day, you may likely face opponents far stronger than I."

"You sound like you speak from experience, Guren."

"I do. But this isn't about me," the lieutenant colonel said simply as he pulled back his sword and prepared to attack again.

The ravenette clenched her teeth as she re-positioned her own sword and assumed a more narrow fighting stance than she normally used at home. Unlike Guren's back yard and Shinya's shooting range, the rocky waterfall ground felt uneven beneath her feet, making her nervous, though she tried her hardest not to show it. Yuichiro understood that Guren was taking her training to the next step by bringing her here so that he could teach her how to fight in more difficult and unfavorable conditions. In addition to the uneven ground, there were also many things here she could easily trip over if she wasn't careful like rocks and shrubs.

Not to mention falling into the water below, another reason for Yuichiro to be leery since she had not yet taken swimming in PE at school. But she wasn't going to tell her guardian that lest he take it as a sign of unwillingness to fight on her part. The ravenette knew from the start that if she wanted to be a soldier, putting herself in the line of danger would be inevitable, even during training.

Without asking if she was ready, Guren swung his sword again, aiming for Yuichiro's flank which she managed to block again by holding her sword vertically with both hands to meet his. This time her attempt was a bit shaky because of the unfamiliar ground. Unlike when he first started training her, the lieutenant colonel no longer asked his ward if she was ready for anything, expecting her to know precisely when to attack and defend because lord knows their enemies would never allow them such a luxury.

Even so, Guren still went easier on Yuichiro than his own instructors did on him at her age, giving her a bit more time to get used to her new surroundings before getting down to business.

Just a bit.

"Impressive, Yuu," he said with a smirk. "I'm glad you're catching on quickly. That's also a must on the battlefield. It looks like we're heading off to a good start, so why don't we get the rest of our stuff and find a place to make camp before we do any more sparring?"

Grinning, Yuichiro was about to request that they spar for just a few more minutes now that Guren had stoked the fire within her when she suddenly felt a droplet of water on her nose. And then another. And another.

Looking up, the pair saw that it was starting to rain, a clear sign that they needed to get their bags someplace dry quick if they didn't want their supplies rendered useless.

Scanning the nearby area, Guren spotted a cave behind the waterfall. Perfect.

"There" he said, pointing in the direction of the hidden niche. "Our things should be safe inside. We can probably make camp in that cave too."

As much as she wanted to continue sparring, Yuichiro had to agree. She knew it wasn't because her Guren was opposed to fighting in the rain; they had done so many times back at his estate. It was because making camp was, at the moment, their first priority.

"Yes, sir. I'll go get our things right away," Yuichiro said as she turned and started walking back down the rocky slope towards their bags and supplies.

"Wait, Yuu, I'm coming too. You aren't going to be able to bring everything up here by yourself in one trip."

Yuichiro silently nodded as she stopped and waited for her guardian. As his ward and student, she was used to walking behind Guren when they went anywhere together, even if only slightly. Once the older man had caught up to her, Yuichiro allowed him to lead the way even though it wasn't really necessary; she still remembered exactly where they left their belongings.

Seeing the sunlight slowly start to vanish, Guren said: "It looks like we'll have to wait until tomorrow morning to continue. I forgot that we spent almost the entire day just coming out here."

"Really?" Yuu asked as she looked around. It turned out her guardian was right when the ravenette noticed the sun setting in the distance. Though they had left Shibuya early that morning after Sayuri packed three days' worth of food for them, Yuichiro easily lost track of the time she and Guren spent coming out to this secluded place. Probably because she was lost in the book she was reading in the car while he was driving.

"You're right," she said as she followed the older man down the slope. The pair knew they had to be quick and picked up the pace when they felt the rain coming down a bit harder.

 **SSSSSS**

 **October 21, 2018**

 _Splash!_

"What the..!" Yuichiro gagged as she shot up from her sleeping bag to see her guardian standing above her, fully dressed for the day. Judging from the shit-eating grin on his face and an empty cup in his hand, it didn't take the girl long to figure out what happened.

"Rise and shine, brat," Guren said in a sing-song tone, his expression becoming one of amusement when he saw Yuichiro glare at him before getting up. Her hair, as well as the slip she went to bed in the night before, were completely drenched in cold water.

"Was that really necessary, _sir?"_ Yuu snarled as she squeezed the water out of her long hair. "A simple shake or 'wake up' would have done the job just fine, you know!"

"Oh, please, I was actually being nice," her guardian scoffed. "Do you think your enemies will give you the courtesy of a wake-up call should they stumble on you asleep on the battlefield? Hell no! So unless you wanna get killed in your sleep, you'd best learn to be awake and alert at the slightest sign of danger. Now go get dressed; I've made you some breakfast so be sure to get your fill. We've got a long day ahead of us."

"Breakfast?" Yuichiro asked in puzzlement before she saw two plates with a simple meal of bread, cheese, eggs, and smoked ham along with two mugs of water next to a small campfire Guren had set inside the cave where they were staying.

Seeing all that made Yuichiro realize that her guardian had woken up at least an hour earlier to get dressed as well as unpack, set the fire, and warm up the food for them while letting her sleep in a bit longer. This was a bit different from back home where it was normal for Yuichiro herself to wake up earlier to make breakfast for the entire Ichinose household alongside Sayuri. It looked like Guren actually _was_ being nice, at least by his standards, to do that for her even though they weren't exactly here on vacation.

"You actually made breakfast, Guren? Why? That's supposed to be my job."

Instead of answering her question, Guren snorted. "You're welcome, Yuu. Just don't get used to it."

"Tsk, fine! Anyway, what did you have in mind for today?"

"Well, I'm glad you asked. There's going to be more to your training out here than just sparring."

"Oh? What else are we going to be doing?"

Setting down the cup he used to splash water on Yuichiro only moments earlier, Guren said, "I plan to test your stamina and endurance. See how well you've been learning from Shinya, Goshi, and the others in addition to myself."

"I see. So what's the first thing we're gonna do?"

"Simple. Hike. And forage."

The girl found herself dumbfounded at her guardian's answer. "What? What does hiking and foraging have to do with fighting?"

"Well, get some grub in your belly first and you'll see. Don't forget to get dressed in something… more appropriate too."

At Guren's last remark, Yuichiro felt her face growing hot as she looked down and realized that the water from his cup had made her slip stick to her body and that her breasts, particularly her nipples, were quite visible through the wet fabric. Wanting to get out of this embarrassing situation as soon as possible, the girl quickly made a grab for her bag before running outside the cave to get dressed behind a tree.

Once she was dressed in a clean white kimono shirt and loose hip-length tan skirt with her hair tied back in a high ponytail, Yuichiro went back inside to join Guren for breakfast in awkward silence. In addition to cooking her breakfast, the older man had also saved Yuu the trouble of taking a morning shower though she had not been appreciative of it when he made her slip wet as well; the girl normally preferred to bathe or shower in private without clothes AND warm water.

But that was a luxury she was going to have to go the next two days without and when Yuichiro realized that, she found herself gulping nervously as she shot a quick uneasy glance in Guren's direction.

And though the lieutenant colonel maintained a straight face and pretended not to notice as he was eating, his ward could have sworn he was laughing inside.

 **SSSSSS**

Long-distance nature hiking was definitely _not_ Yuichiro Hyakuya's forte. Especially when she was also carrying a pack loaded with supplies for nearly five hours straight. The girl panted as weariness crept up on her and forced her to stop, bending over at the waist with her hands on her lap, trying to catch her breath. Looking ahead, Yuu saw that her guardian maintained a steady pace with the same burden and hardly seemed to break a sweat while doing it.

Sensing that her ward had stopped and needed a break, Guren turned around and eyed her with amusement. "What, tired already, Yuu?" he asked playfully.

Yuichiro glared at him. "What do you mean 'already'? We've been at this for at least a few hours if you haven't noticed! So why is it you look almost perfectly fine? Don't you ever sweat?"

"Well, yes, of course, I do. I just have a bit more stamina than you. I did say this wasn't going to be a picnic or did you forget that already?"

"No, I haven't forgotten," she shot back. "Speaking of picnic, I am a bit hungry. Is it ok if we eat something before continuing?"

Guren briefly checked his watch before answering. Normally, he would expect his ward to go a bit further without food to toughen her up but he had to acknowledge that they have been hiking for some time and that his own stomach was growling as well. It wouldn't do either of them any good if they passed out from hunger by continuing on an empty stomach.

"Very well, Yuu. We can eat."

Sighing in relief, Yuichiro set down her pack and was about to open it to grab some rations before Guren stilled her hand.

"Those are for dinner. If you want to have lunch, you'll have to catch it."

"Huh? What do you mean 'catch it'?" the girl asked incredulously.

"Here, let me demonstrate," her guardian answered before setting down his own pack and heading for a nearby steam. Curious, Yuichiro followed him and looked down into the water where she saw several fish swim by.

"You mean fish? But we didn't bring any fishing gear."

Guren chuckled as if he found his ward's suggestion absurd. "Who ever said anything about fishing gear?"

"Don't tell me…"

"Correct. I said that if you want to have lunch, you'll have to catch it. Literally. Like this!"

And with that, Yuichiro watched in amazement as Guren shot his hand into the water with the same speed he used to attack her with the day before to test her fighting reflexes and pulled out a small fish, gripping it firmly in his hand to keep it from getting away.

"Wow! How did you do that?"

"Simple," he answered. "I just put my hand in the water and pull the fish out. Now you try it."

Yuichiro scowled. "You always make everything sound so easy, Guren."

"Maybe. But it's the only way you're going to be getting any lunch because our field rations are off limits until dinner. Well, Yuu?"

The girl's breath hitched in her throat when she realized her guardian was serious. She had never even attempted to catch fish with proper fishing gear let alone her bare hands but she was also quite hungry and had no choice. So setting her pack down, Yuichiro followed Guren's lead to make her own attempt at catching a fish with her hands alone.

And failed miserably. Not once, but ten times before she managed to catch a fish that just happened to be a bit more sluggish than the others. That along with the fact that Yuichiro's longer fingernails made it possible for her to get a firm grip on the fish by digging them into its body. Maybe it was sheer luck but the girl was willing to take any break she could get, something Sayuri had taught her a year prior.

"Very good, Yuu. You just caught your lunch. Hopefully, it will tie you over until dinner. That, along with what you can get off that tree over there," Guren said as he made a gesture to a nearby tree which looked like it had some fruit, possibly apples on it.

Knowing that the older man implied that she would have to climb the tree if she wanted the apples, Yuichiro declined. She was already exhausted and hungry and didn't want to exert more effort than she really needed to. Going without the apples wasn't going to be an issue for her.

"Uh, no thanks, I don't feel like climbing for apples. Just the fish will do."

Guren shrugged. "Suit yourself, Yuu. I'll get a fire going to cook these," he said as he made a gesture for his ward to hand her fish over. Now go wash your hands; they stink and so does the rest of you."

Though she was annoyed at Guren's barb, Yuichiro handed him the fish she caught without another word before going back to the stream to clean her hands and wetted a cloth from her pack to wipe the sweat from around her temples and neck. By now, the ravenette knew her guardian well enough to know that he wasn't deliberately trying to degrade her by making such comments; it was just his way. Yuichiro could still tell from the way Guren offered to light a fire and cook the fish they caught instead of telling her to do it that he was indulging her a bit, just as he had when he allowed her to sleep in a little that morning.

Twenty minutes later when the fish was cooked and ready to eat, Guren excused himself to wash his own hands while telling Yuichiro to go ahead and eat without him until he returned. As she chewed on the soft meat, the girl noticed that it was actually flavored with spices which she wasn't expecting. Yuichiro knew her guardian probably wouldn't have thought to bring them himself; Sayuri must have packed the seasoning spices and reminded Guren to use them.

 _I'll have to remember to thank Sayuri…_ she thought.

 **SSSSSS**

After their small lunch of cooked fish, Guren and Yuichiro made their way back to the other side of the waterfall grounds which took at least another three to four hours. By the time they got there, the lieutenant colonel ordered his ward to set their things beneath another tree except for their swords.

"Leave our things here. We're going to spar up there," he said as he made a gesture towards a ledge where another waterfall was pouring over, making for a liquid tunnel.

Yuichiro was startled. "Now? But we just hiked for the last few hours!" she protested. "Aren't you tired? I am."

"Not really" Guren answered coolly. "Like I've told you before, your enemies aren't going to wait until you're in tip-top shape before they attack you. To be a competent soldier, you'll need to be able to fight and defend yourself efficiently even when you're in pain or running on fumes. Or have you already forgotten that, Yuu?"

"Of course I haven't, _sir,"_ the girl quipped as she dropped her bag. "Thank you ever so much for reminding me. Now that you put that way, bring it on!"

Guren laughed as he cleared the way for her and made a mock bow. "With pleasure, Yuu. Ladies first!"

"Hmph!" Yuichiro snorted as she marched past her guardian with her eyes closed and head held high, sticking her pert little nose up into the air. "I'm no lady! Do I look like a damsel in distress to you, baka Guren?"

Instead of being insulted by the younger girl's remark, Guren actually found it cute.

"Well, there's only one way to find out, is there?" he asked smoothly before unsheathing his sword and bringing it down on Yuichiro's head to see how she would handle being attacked from behind.

 _Too easy!_ Yuu thought as she quickly withdrew her own blade and held it high above her head, this time with one arm, effectively blocking Guren's attack.

"It's rather dirty of you to try and attack me from behind, isn't it, sir?" Yuichiro quipped without turning around. Even though she couldn't see it, the ravenette was sure her guardian was smiling in amusement.

"Is that what you're going to tell your enemies, Yuu?" he chuckled. "This isn't the Middle Ages and we aren't knights or samurais. Neither are the vampires. Bushido and Chivalry no longer have any place on the battlefield. Only survival and victory matters."

"I'm perfectly aware of what century we live in, _sir,"_ Yuichiro said as she shot her sword arm up with her weapon in hand, forcing Guren to move his own sword away before she turned to face him. "Didn't you say you wanted to spar on that waterfall ledge?"

"Of course, I did. That attack just now was merely a warm-up. You can lead the way now. I promise no more surprise attacks until we get up there."

Yuichiro narrowed her eyes at Guren in suspicion but decided to take him for his word and said nothing as she turned around and made her way up the slope with him following close behind. Even if her guardian were to go back on his word, the ravenette would know how to defend herself anyway and they both knew it.

 **SSSSSS**

"Anytime you're ready, Yuu," Guren said as he bent one of his legs at the knee and tapped a foot on the ground just slightly behind him, gripping his sword in one hand and letting the flat bounce lightly on his right shoulder in a display of arrogant confidence. Unlike his ward, the older man did not look the slightest bit nervous at the idea of sparring someplace uneven, wet, and slippery. If he was, he was doing an excellent job of hiding it.

Yuichiro gritting her teeth as she gripped her sword firmly in both hands while maintaining her fighting stance. She and her guardian had been facing each other for a whole minute and try as she might, the ravenette could not bring herself to attack just yet. Normally, Yuichiro did not have an issue making the first move when she and Guren trained at home but her new surroundings made her hesitate a bit. Not only was the ground uneven, but also quite slick from the moisture of the waterfall. Even so, she knew she could not avoid moving forever and took a deep breath before charging and closing the gap between herself and Guren.

"Finally, you've decided to move your ass, girl!" the older man exclaimed as he snapped out of his smug, laid back posture fast, his blade easily meeting Yuichiro's when she came within striking distance of him.

 _Show off! This is just a game to him!_ The girl thought in frustration as she shoved her weapon against his in an attempt to push him back while trying to keep her footing on the slippery ledge beneath the waterfall tunnel.

Normally, Yuichiro liked to be light on her feet and strike her hardest while sparring but the uneven rocky ground forced the girl to focus more on control than power or speed to maintain her balance. And while she knew Guren had the same handicap, he still had a slight advantage over her being considerably heavier which made it easier to keep his footing.

As if he were merely humoring Yuu, Guren gave way and allowed himself to be pushed back even though they both knew he could hold his ground without budging if he so chose. Especially against someone who was only five feet, two inches and barely weighed a hundred pounds.

"That was adorable, Yuu! I thought I taught you better than that!" he teased.

Normally, she might have kicked Guren for such a barb but Yuichiro knew it would be risky for her to keep one foot off the ground for too long on this ledge; not only was it uneven and slippery, but also quite narrow as well. Controlling her emotions was also a must when fighting in an environment such as this, even more so than on dry and solid ground.

 _I can do this,_ the girl thought as she remembered Mito's words during their last training session together before she came out here with Guren.

 _Remember, Yuu. As women, we are often slightly at a disadvantage to men when it comes to size and strength. But even so, there is_ no _handicap anyone cannot overcome without wits and determination…_

Now that she thought about it, Yuichiro realized Mito was right. She may not be able to take Guren down with brute strength alone here or anywhere but that didn't mean she couldn't find an edge over him if she looked hard enough. And since he was much taller and had longer legs than herself, Guren had to take wider stances which left him in a position more difficult to get out of in a hurry should the situation call for it.

That was when Yuichiro finally noticed that on a ledge this narrow, it would also be quite difficult for her guardian to turn around quickly without slipping if she could manage to get behind him.

Once she realized that, the ravenette grinned at him wickedly and felt a smug sense of satisfaction when Guren's expression changed from confidence to alarm as he tried to figure out what she was planning.

Not giving him time to find out, the younger girl quickly took a narrow stance, making sure to keep her weight on the top of her legs like Mito had taught her for fighting on grass or other slippery surfaces, and charged again. This time, Yuichiro shifted her weight to one leg as she pivoted while holding her sword in both hands to strike at Guren's flank, carefully gauging how much force to put behind her attack so she could stay upright through the recoil.

As soon as he lifted his sword to block her attack, Yuichiro released one of her hands from the hilt of her own sword and grabbed Guren by the shoulder to secure her footing when he deflected her blade and pivoted again until she was right behind him.

As she predicted, the older man had to take great caution in turning around to confront her and before he could successfully do so, Yuichiro stepped back slightly and smacked him hard on the rear with the flat of her blade.

As soon as he felt his ward's blade make contact with a rather intimate part of his body, Guren gasped and felt the heat rush to his cheeks (the ones on his face) as he finally turned around to meet and glare at Yuichiro for her audacious move.

"Why you little brat!" he yelled, his cool demeanor completely undone and replaced with embarrassment and anger. "You're just asking for an ass-whooping, are you?!"

"Ha, try it, baka Guren! I dare you!" Yuichiro laughed.

"With pleasure," the older man growled as he threw down his sword and attempted to grab his ward. He normally didn't believe in spanking but was willing to make an exception in Yuichiro's case for her insolent act.

As soon as she felt Guren's hands close around her upper arms, the girl released her own sword and struggled to free herself. Though her guardian had an iron-clad grip, Yuichiro refused to give up and struggled harder as he dragged her to a nearby rock and attempted to pull her over his lap.

"Oh hell, no! Not today!" the feisty girl shrieked as she stomped on Guren's foot, the sudden pain finally forcing him to release her.

Which was a big mistake since they were not completely off the ledge yet.

Before Yuichiro could put a safe distance between herself and Guren , she slipped on a wet weed that grew out from between the cracks of the rocky ledge and found herself screaming as she plummeted at least fifty feet to the water below.

Forgetting the pain in his foot, Guren smirked when he looked down from the waterfall ledge and saw Yuichiro flailing around in the lake below, figuring she'd learn her lesson that way just as much as a spanking.

"Hey, Yuu, how's the water down there?" he called as bent over to take a better look.

Unfortunately, Guren's smug satisfaction was short lived when he saw Yuichiro sink without resurfacing for a good twenty seconds and his expression changed to horror when he realized that the younger girl couldn't swim.

"Oh, shit!" he cursed as he quickly pulled off his shirt before diving into the water himself after her.

As she felt her body sink and the cold water close over her head with the surface growing further and further away, Yuichiro's vision blurred as lack of oxygen started to make her lose consciousness. By now, the girl was too exhausted to make any more attempts to swim and was about to resign herself to her fate when she saw a dark-haired man swimming towards her. Before she blacked out, Yuichiro felt a strong arm wrap around her back and under her arms as she was being pulled towards the surface.

 **SSSSSS**

"Yuu, can you hear me? Wake up!" Guren very nearly pleaded as he shook the younger girl in an attempt to wake her as soon as they were back on the surface where he dragged her to the shore of the lake. He had lost track of how much time Yuichiro had spent underwater and feared she may have been deprived of oxygen long enough to cause permanent brain damage if not death.

It was quite rare that someone like Guren Ichinose made mistakes but when he did, they usually had dire consequences. Too late did he realize that it was a mistake to bring Yuichiro here to train without being sure she could swim efficiently in case something like this were to happen. Either way, the only thing he could do now was to try and save her.

Thinking quickly, Guren laid Yuichiro flat on her back and made sure her body, including her neck, was stabilized before checking for a pulse which, thankfully, was present even though the girl wasn't breathing. Trying his best to recall what he learned in the first aid course he took in high school to revive a drowning victim, Guren pinched Yuichiro's nose shut and tilted her head slightly back before covering her mouth with his own.

Hoping that he was doing the procedure correctly since this was the first time he actually attempted to save a drowning victim, Guren inhaled through his nose and exhaled slowly through his mouth in an effort to secure Yuichiro's airway. Once, twice, up to three times, hoping that it would be enough but fearing that it wouldn't.

Still, he refused to give up. As Yuichiro's guardian, it was his responsibility to look out for her safety and well-being and Guren wasn't about to let her die without doing everything he could to save her.

After what felt like an eternity, Yuichiro's eyes fluttered open as she felt the uncontrollable urge to cough which her guardian was expecting and turned her to the side away from himself so she could clear her lungs of the excess water and anything else she might have swallowed from the lake.

After two or three minutes, the girl's coughing finally subsided and she felt a pair of strong arms taking her into a warm embrace reminiscent of the one Guren gave her after she ran into his arms when they met for the first time after she escaped the vampire city two years prior.

At first, Yuichiro thought she was dreaming until her hazy mind and clearing vision found her in a rather compromising position with the man who had just saved her.

Yuichiro gasped as she placed her hands on her guardian's chest, which she just noticed was bare, and pushed him away before staring at him in wide-eyed wonder (and shock). For a moment, she could not say a word as her eyes took in Guren's half-naked appearance. His raven hair was slicked back with water, the droplets falling onto his well-muscled chest which was now on full display.

"Wh..what happened?" Yuichiro squeaked. Like Guren, she herself was drenched with her long hair dripping water into a puddle behind her but the girl took no notice of it.

Though she knew it was rude to stare, Yuichiro could not bring herself to look away from the man whose eyes captivated her even more than his body. In their violet depths, the girl could see a fierce protectiveness that rivaled even Mikaela's before he pulled a kamikaze attack on Ferid Bathory to protect her.

"What happened, Yuu? I just saved you from drowning after you slipped and fell off the waterfall ledge or don't you remember?" the older man replied in annoyance.

"I fell?" the girl asked in puzzlement as she struggled to remember what happened less than ten minutes ago. When Yuu finally managed to collect her scattered memories, she blushed again. "Oh…"

Guren rolled his eyes. "'Oh' is right. Do you have any idea how much trouble you just put me through, you little brat?"

Though he tried to sound angry, Yuichiro could still tell that her guardian was relieved she was alive and unharmed.

"I'm sorry…" the girl apologized sheepishly as she tried to keep her eyes from wandering to his chest again. "And thank you."

Instead of saying "You're welcome", Guren pulled his lips back in a wolfish grin. His dazzling violet eyes twinkled with mischief, highlighting his handsome face.

"Are you really?" he snickered. "Do you think I'll let you off the hook that easily for the stunt you pulled by pouting your cute little lips and batting those big pretty eyes at me and saying you're sorry? That might work on Shinya or Goshi or those puppy boys at your school but I think you ought to know me a little better than that by now, Yuu."

Yuichiro gulped when she realized her guardian was still quite displeased at her earlier transgression even though she felt he deserved it for his barbs on her ability to fight.

Still, he _did_ save her life so she supposed she owed him one.

"You're right, Guren" she said in the sweetest tone she could muster while slyly moving her eyes to the side. "I suppose I _do_ deserve to be spanked since I've been _so_ naughty."

"I'm glad you understand, Yuichiro" the older man said as he took her by the shoulders and was about to turn her around before she suddenly placed her hands on his chest and used all her strength to push him back and jumped to her feet.

"But not today!" the girl cried gleefully and tried to make a run for it, assuming that Guren was too spent to pursue her after all the energy he exerted to save her from drowning.

Oh, how wrong she was.

Yuichiro barely made it more than a few feet before she felt herself being grabbed from behind and flung over a broad shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Hey, let go of me, baka!" she screamed as she pounded on her guardian's bare back with her fists.

Guren snorted. "Not a chance, brat. And quit your struggling, it won't do you any good. I haven't survived this long by being slow and dimwitted" he said in a crass tone as he carried his defiant young ward kicking and screaming to a nearby tree stump where he forced her to lay across his lap on her belly like the wayward child she was.

Before she could protest further, Yuichiro felt the heat rush to her cheeks and yelped when she finally felt Guren's large hand crack against her soft rear through her wet skirt as payback for dragging them both into this fine mess.

"Ahh!" Yuichiro cried again and again. She knew he wasn't hitting her that hard and was more embarrassed than hurt which was probably his intention all along.

After receiving a good twenty whacks, Yuichiro pleaded for Guren to stop lest she die of embarrassment.

"Please stop..." she whimpered. "I'll be a good girl, I promise..."

The older man chuckled as he bent over and brought his face a little closer to hers. "Hmm? What was that, Yuu?" he asked in a husky voice.

"I'll be good..."

Smiling, Guren turned his young ward over until she was sitting on his lap. "Prove it" he whispered into her ear.

Yuichiro blushed at the older man's implication which she understood full well.

"Yes, sir..." the girl obeyed as she brought her lips to his and kissed him full on the mouth which he returned with a passion before taking her into his arms bridal style and rising to his feet.

"Good girl. But I'll be wanting more than a simple kiss for saving your life, Yuichiro, do you understand?"

"Yes..."

Guren said nothing more as he carried Yuichiro back to the cave they were staying. As soon as the fire was lighted, he turned to his young ward and gave his next order.

"Take off your clothes, Yuu. All of them."

Yuichiro gasped and hesitated for a moment, making her guardian raise a brow.

"What's wrong? If you don't, I will..."

Feeling a bit playful at his husky tone, the girl gave him a coy smile and turned her head away but made no move to remove her wet clothing.

Guren sighed in amusement. "Suit yourself, Yuu..." he said as he walked over to her and started pulling off her clothes bit by bit until she was completely naked in front of him before pushing her down on her back on the soft futon that was spread on the floor.

Looking up at the handsome young man above her, Yuichiro blushed again but before she could say a word, he bent over and kissed her again, more intensely than before. As her arousal grew, so did the girl's inhibitions went away and she wrapped her arms against her guardian, now her lover's, shoulders, returning his kiss with equal fervor.

Sliding her hands down Guren's bare back, Yuichiro lightly and playfully scratched it to see if he was ticklish and grinned when she heard him laugh softly before she started helping herself to his pants, undoing his belt before sliding them off along with his undergarments.

Once they were both completely nude, Yuichiro felt her legs being spread and her lover entering her. She shut her eyes, arched her back, and gasped at the sudden intrusion. Sensing her tension, Guren leaned over and gently kissed her on the forehead before thrusting forward powerfully, making her scream in pain but he knew it couldn't be helped since she was a virgin.

The girl panted, beads of sweat pooling on her forehead as she tried to catch her breath and wait out the lingering pain when she felt Guren kiss her again.

"Shh...it's done. You will feel no more pain, only pleasure."

"Yes..." Yuichiro breathed as she felt her lover start to rock her in a slow, steady rhythm, making her cry and moan in delight. The girl dug her nails into Guren's back, her naked breasts brushing against the hard muscles of his chest, wrapping her legs around him, arching her back as she climaxed and he joined her in mutual ecstasy.

After they were spent, the lovers shared one last kiss.

"I love you, Guren..." Yuichiro yawned as she started to drift off to sleep in his arms. "Thank you..."

The older man smiled and pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead. "I love you too, Yuichiro, you are such a good girl. Promise me you'll stay that way."

"I promise..."

 **A/N: And there it is! I hope this alternate story is smutty enough for your Guren/fem!Yuu needs lol! :D**


	10. The Point of No Return: Part I

**Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only and as a gift for one of my devout readers and reviewers, VampireSiren. The song "Point of No Return" is written and owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber. This story is a two-shot, "What if" alternative route to my "canon" fem!Yuu AU saga. As a warning, this fic has some nudity and sexual content so I suggest you not read if you are offended by such material. I would also like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho, for her help in making this fic possible. That said, enjoy and please review!**

 **The Point of No Return**

 **Part I**

 **Nagoya Airport Battle**

Yuichiro released a ragged breath after forcing Kureto Hiragi, who tried to attack and capture her when she landed on the ground, back with ridiculous ease. It didn't take much effort on the younger girl's part to shove him away when he tried to lock swords with her. The lieutenant general had to admit, at least to himself, that his brief duel with Yuichiro reminded him of the time he was forced to fight his half-sister, Mahiru, after she lead an entire army of rebels against the Hiragi clan. But this time was different because Yuichiro's strength and power exceeded Mahiru's by far.

Furious that Yuichiro had foiled his plan to use the seraph-possessed Mirai Kimizuki to take down the entire vampire army, Kureto decided to make _her_ his new weapon instead, especially after he realized that Yuichiro's powers exceeded Mirai's just as much as Mahiru's.

Unfortunately for the older man, he had no idea just how much stronger she was since they last dueled and with the strength her newly revealed seraph powers granted her, Yuichiro sent Kureto flying several dozen yards across the airport grounds with just one swift blow with her trusty Asuramaru.

But, as Yuichiro discovered, using such powers came with a price; once the overwhelming inhuman power faded from her body, weakness just as great overcame her. Her legs failed her, and she collapsed to the ground. Dust blew up around Yuichiro as she was too weak to even lift her face from the cold, hard concrete.

" _What's happening to me, Asuramaru? Why can't I move or get up?"_ Yuichiro silently asked the demon within her mind.

" _Why? Isn't it obvious, Yuu? You've completely exhausted yourself by blowing on that forbidden trumpet to save your family like you wanted. Did you think such an action would have no consequence?"_ the boy demon answered wryly.

Yuichiro was about to ask Asuramaru what he meant when she heard the footsteps of someone approaching. Looking up, the girl found herself gazing at thirty inches of dark, tempered steel belonging to a sword she recognized all too well. She also knew that there was only one man who could wield such a blade.

"Guren..." Yuichiro mumbled weakly as she struggled to lift her head and look at the man she had foolishly challenged to defend her orphanage brother, Mikaela.

Yuichiro never had a chance to do so, of course, before Kureto unleashed Kimizuki's seraph-possessed sister upon both the human and vampire armies.

The older raven-haired man looked down upon Yuichiro and regarded her rather coldly, the beautiful violet irises she had so admired still rimmed with red when he took her hostage in order to separate her from Mikaela.

"It's over, Yuichiro. You're coming with me now," Guren said simply as if he wasn't really giving his ward a choice in the matter.

Remembering Shinoa's warning about Guren being possessed, Yuichiro tried to prop herself onto an elbow and reach for her sword when her guardian's voice stilled her hand.

"Don't bother, Yuu. We both know you don't have the strength to fight me. And even if you did, it still wouldn't be enough."

Yuichiro squeezed her eyes shut and tried to turn her head away so that Guren wouldn't see the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes. She knew he was right. As of now, Yuichiro barely had the strength to even lift her head, let alone draw her sword and fight.

She was practically as weak as a baby and just as defenseless.

"So what are you going to do with me, _sir?"_ Yuichiro asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"As I said, I'm taking you with me."

"Where?"

"You'll see..."

At those words, Guren moved to sheath his sword as he stared down at his young ward.

Suddenly, the familiar voice of an angry young man rang out from above him.

"Get away from her, you filthy human!"

Looking up, Guren saw Mikaela swinging his blade down toward his head. He instinctively blocked it with his demon sword, his arm barely budging from the impact with his enhanced demonic strength.

Had Guren not reacted in time, the blond vampire's sword might have easily cleaved him in two with the force Mikaela put behind his attack.

"You never give up, do you, vampire?" Guren sneered as he forced Mikaela back with a powerful swipe. "Forget Yuichiro. She is lost to you. Leave now, and _maybe_ I'll spare your life."

"Never!"

"Fine, have it your way!"

Knowing that Guren and Mikaela intended to fight to the death over her, Yuichiro desperately tried to reason with them, even though she could barely move.

"Guren… Mika…please don't…" the girl pleaded weakly as she tried to reach out to Guren and Mika with an outstretched hand.

But both men were too blinded by their obsession and jealousy to hear her.

Not that it would have made any difference if they had.

Enraged at how Guren had nearly sliced Yuichiro's throat open with his sword earlier, Mikaela had already decided that the man cannot be trusted with her. The blond's rage disrupted his focus, which in turn affected his ability to think strategically.

The situation was ironic, considering that vampires were noted for not allowing their emotions to impair their fighting. Unless they were extremely proud, arrogant, and over-confident nobles like the late Lucal Wesker.

Guren himself was quite aware of Mika's weakness, and he continued to patiently counter the blond vampire's disordered attacks. He, on the other hand, remained confident, sharp, and collected. His ability did not falter against Mika, which was ironic, considering how less control humans typically had over their emotions compared to vampires. Guren also knew that his rival's youth also influenced his impulses and ability to control his emotions in comparison to himself who had considerably more experience in the field.

And as Yuichiro expected, her mentor did not hesitate to use dirty underhanded tricks if they provided him an advantage in combat. Once Mika came close enough to strike him again, Guren quickly stuck out his long leg and tripped the blond before pulling it back to deliver a vicious kick to his side before Mika could even hit the ground.

Were their circumstances a bit different, the lieutenant colonel would have happily driven his sword thorough Mikaela's heart and activated the curse to finish him off. And as much as Guren would have liked to reduce his one and only true rival for Yuichiro's affections to ashes, the current situation demanded that he act quickly before either the Hiragis or the vampires could get their hands on her. The fact that he had kicked Mikaela several yards away made going after and finishing the him too time-consuming and risky, so Guren decided to let the blond off, at least for today.

Taking advantage of the chaos the clashing human and vampire armies provided, Guren bent over and lifted Yuichiro, who was starting to lose consciousness, in his arms, and proceeded to make off with her before his blond rival could recover enough to go after him again. Though Kureto had ordered that Yuichiro be turned over to him, Guren had no intention of handing her to his superior officer any more than he did to the vampires who coveted her powers.

And now that the lieutenant general, as well as the rest of the Demon Army, including Guren's own squad and other subordinates in the MDC, had their hands full with holding off the bloodsuckers, Guren quietly abandoned them to their fate and left the battlefield with his prize. The man didn't even spare a backwards glance to his comrades, as if he didn't care if they lived or died.

"Stop, human! Where do you think you're going with Yuu-chan?!" Mikaela demanded as Shinoa slowly helped him stagger back onto his feet.

Normally, he would have been able to hop back onto his feet right away after being knocked down. But this time around, Mikaela found Guren's strength shockingly unreal as the older man demonstrated when he gave Mikaela a kick powerful enough to break his ribs and rupture his internal organs, which were still in the process of mending. Were Mika a normal human, he might have been killed instantly from such a blow.

Ignoring the blond's murderous glare, Guren lifted Yuichiro into his arms. He looked at Mikaela silently with an icy gaze full of contempt as if warning him not to pursue them if he wanted to live.

If he were anyone else, Mika might have been intimidated by Guren's silent warning, but, where Yuichiro was concerned, the blond was not easily deterred.

With no intention of giving up, Mika took a wobbly step toward Guren as the man turned and left the battlefield with Yuichiro. But before he could get any father, he felt Shinoa's small hand clamped onto his shoulder

"I'm sorry, Mikaela, but we have to retreat for now!" the purple-haired girl said urgently as she pointed a finger in the direction of the advancing vampire army.

From the look of things, it wouldn't be long before they caught up to the humans and the entire airport became a bloodbath. So, they as well as the rest of their comrades have no choice but to leave quickly before they were caught in the middle.

Mika wanted to argue, but he knew Shinoa was right. He may be fiercely protective of Yuichiro, but even he had to agree with the purple-haired girl that the best course of action now would be to let Guren go while he escaped with Shinoa and Satoshi's squads. The blond could only hope that his older rival would not harm Yuichiro since he implied that he needed her alive.

Sheathing his sword, Mikaela turned to Shinoa and nodded. "Fine…" he said. "We'll let them go for now. But just remember, I'm not giving up on Yuu-chan!"

"I understand. I'm not going to either, but we won't be able to save her if we end up getting captured or killed ourselves. Let's go!"

After taking one last look at the retreating Guren who was carrying Yuichiro away in his arms, Mikaela gritted his teeth. He then turned around and chased after the two retreating squads he had allied with, which were, regrettably, heading in the opposite direction of his hated rival…

 **SSSSSS**

 **Some time later…**

"Guren… Mika… please stop…" Yuichiro groaned as she tossed and turned in her bed, drifting halfway between the dream world and the waking world before her eyes flew open when realization finally dawned on her.

 _Wait, what am I doing in bed?_ The ravenette thought as she scanned her surroundings and found that she was in someone's western-style bedroom that also had quite a vintage look.

Not only that, Yuichiro also found herself out of uniform and dressed in a white nightgown while lying on a soft bed with satin sheets. As she sat up, Yuichiro noticed a glass of water on the night table next to her and suddenly realized how dry her throat felt. So, she took a moment to down the water and sate her thirst.

 _Where am I? How did I get here?_ Yuichiro asked herself frantically after setting the empty glass back down before putting her hands to the sides of her head and tried to recall what happened before she woke up in this strange place.

It didn't take long for Yuichiro to remember the chaos riveting Nagoya Airport that finally forced her to tap into the power so forbidden that even Asuramaru advised her against using it. In exchange for sacrificing even more of her humanity, she used the power of the seraph to stop Kimizuki's possessed sister, Mirai, from completing her deadly rampage.

Asuramaru had already warned her of the consequences before she took the trumpet, but Yuichiro was willing to do anything, sacrifice anything, to keep the people she cared about safe.

And then there were her memories of Guren and Mikaela intent on fighting to the death over her as she laid helpless on the ground, her body completely depleted of energy. The last thing Yuichiro remembered was Mikaela flying through the air from Guren's vicious side kick as she pleaded in vain for them to stop fighting. Yuichiro knew both her mentor and orphanage brother were stubborn to a fault and almost never gave up on something they truly wanted, namely herself.

At the thought of Guren, Yuichiro gasped when she realized that the older man was nowhere to be seen. She did, however, clearly did remember feeling him pick her up and carry away from the battlefield.

Before losing consciousness, the ravenette also vaguely heard Shinoa imploring Mika to retreat with her squad and Satoshi's in order to escape the advancing vampire and human armies before they got caught in the middle.

 _Did Guren bring me here? What is this place?_ Yuichiro thought curiously as she subconsciously reached out for Asuramaru and gasped when she realized her demon sword was not at her side, which almost sent her into a panic, even more so than waking up in a strange Victorian-style room she did not recognize.

Ever since Yuichiro passed the demon aptitude test and obtained her trusty weapon, she always made sure Asuramaru was never far from her side. Since she could not make her demon weapon appear and disappear in her hand at will like Shinya and Shinoa's due to its nature, Yuichiro carried Asuramaru almost everywhere, even keeping it next to her in bed while she slept. If the sword was not with her now, that could only mean one thing: that Guren must have taken it from Yuichiro while she was asleep.

Although she was not totally defenseless when unarmed, Yuichiro felt vulnerable, even naked, without Asuramaru. And it didn't take her long to figure out why Guren would take her trusted weapon. What she wasn't sure of was what her mentor intended for her now, and Yuichiro could not help feeling nervous as she pondered the possibilities. Did Guren see her defiant refusal to submit to and challenge him to protect Mikaela as a betrayal of sorts? Would he punish her for it? What would he do, especially if Guren was still possessed by his demon as Shinoa had claimed?

Not wanting to get caught in what could be a potentially dangerous situation without a weapon, Yuichiro got up and started looking around her room for something she could use as a one. While she was at it, the ravenette also tried turning the knob of the door to her room and found that it was, unsurprisingly, locked. Likewise, Yuichiro also discovered that all the windows, even the tiny one in the bathroom, were securely locked in a way that was meant to keep someone inside from escaping: herself.

 _I can't get out… well, that's even more reason for me to find a weapon then!_ Yuichiro thought as she turned away from the door and started rummaging through a vintage wooden desk in the room that was not too far from the bed she woke up in.

After fumbling in several of the drawers for a few minutes, the ravenette finally found what she was looking for: an antique letter opener made of sterling silver with an intricately carved handle that was neatly tucked away in a small case. The knife-like implement was about eight inches long, including the handle, and quite sharp from the looks of it. Although impressive to look at, Yuichiro knew the letter opener couldn't possibly be a sufficient substitute for her trusted demon sword, but it was still better than nothing.

Not wanting to be caught with something she could use as a weapon against her captor, Yuichiro crawled back into bed and hid the letter opener beneath the blanket when she heard approaching footsteps outside of her room. Wherever she was, Yuichiro was certain it wasn't JIDA Headquarters or anywhere near it; Yuichiro had the feeling that Guren must have taken her someplace secluded without the knowledge or consent of his superiors.

The fact that she woke up in someone's personal bedroom instead of a lab bed hooked up to strange machines confirmed it.

Knowing that Guren wouldn't be fooled if she pretended to be asleep, Yuichiro kept her eyes open while clutching the letter opener in her hand beneath the blanket.

After a brief pause, the person on the other side of the door unlocked it and entered without knocking. Yuichiro found that unusual since Guren made it a habit to knock on her door after that embarrassing incident when he walked in on her in her flimsy lingerie years ago.

Was it possible that her visitor wasn't Guren after all?

Yuichiro wasn't sure if that was the case, but, either way, she had to use caution. After all, Guren wasn't himself when he took her hostage and later carried her off. He also didn't hesitate to abandon all three squads under his command as well as the rest of his soldiers to the vampires.

After shutting her eyes for a moment when she heard the door open, Yuichiro slowly opened them again as if she had just awoken upon hearing her visitor enter. Despite her earlier doubts, he was her guardian and mentor after all. And, like Yuichiro herself, Guren was also out of uniform; the older man was dressed more casually in a white dress shirt and slacks. His skin and hair were also perfectly clean as if he just recently showered.

Upon noticing Guren's polished appearance, Yuichiro suddenly realized for the first time since she woke up that she, too, was clean of any blood and debris from her ordeal at the airport. The ravenette found herself bewildered and wondered if someone had bathed and changed her while she was comatose. Could it have been Sayuri or Shigure since they were the ones who normally tended to Yuichiro whenever she got dirty or became injured during her training sessions with Guren or other members of his squad?

Seeing the question on his ward's face, the older man seemed to read her mind and answered, "Not this time, Yuu. Nobody is here except the two of us."

"And just where is _here_ , if I may ask?" Yuichiro demanded as she finally sat up on the bed and tightened her grip on the letter opener while taking care to keep it out of Guren's sight.

Guren blinked at her before answering. "Why, my home, of course. Where else would I take you?"

"What? Are you serious? I don't recall ever seeing a room like this in your house when I lived with you, Guren."

"Of course you didn't because I never had a room like this in my Shibuya home," the older man said with an amused expression.

Now, that made the younger girl more confused. "Your Shibuya home? You mean..?"

"Correct. You didn't realize because I never told you, but I do have more than one house, Yuu."

"More than one house? Then if we're not in Shibuya, then where are we?"

Guren was silent for a moment before answering. "That… is something you do not need to know…" ***1***

"And why is that?" the ravenette demanded as she found herself growing angry at her guardian's evasiveness, especially considering that he had brought her here against her will. "In fact, where are the others? You abandoned them, didn't you? And not just that, you…"

Yuichiro's breath hitched in her throat as if she could not bring herself to speak what she had witnessed back at the Nagoya Airport battle. She knew there was no way she could have imagined or dreamed up the scenes of Guren cutting down human and vampire soldiers alike or how he tried to kill Mikaela when the blond attempted to rescue her.

And since she had lost consciousness, Yuichiro had no idea if Shinoa, Satoshi, and the others managed to escape the battle with their lives. As for Guren's own squad, the ravenette assumed they stayed behind to try and cover for them and there was no guarantee the older squad survived either. Yuichiro could not help wondering if the three squads as well as the rest of the MDC could have survived without Guren's leadership, and she worried for them.

"Why Guren? Why did you turn on them? Didn't _you_ take a pledge to protect humanity when you joined the Demon Army just like the rest of us?"

Instead of answering her right away, the older man remained silent. Whether it was because he was unwilling or unable to answer, Yuichiro could not say, but that didn't do anything to pacify her growing frustration at his silence.

Losing patience with her mentor, Yuichiro finally jumped out of bed, her long gown billowing about her, and suddenly charged at Guren with a speed even she didn't know she had, before forcing him into a sitting position on a nearby antique fainting couch. Using her body weight, she had managed to pin the older man against the back of the couch and stilled him by putting the letter opener she had been hiding earlier to his throat.

Were Yuichiro not so angry at Guren, such a move might have excited her for she relished any edge she could get over her mentor.

"You will explain yourself to me, _sir!"_ the ravenette hissed as she tried to put on her most intimidating expression even though she knew Guren was strong and clever enough to get himself out of his predicament if he wished.

Instead of getting angry and trying to push Yuichiro off of him, Guren merely stared at her, his expression almost sorrowful.

"Why are you angry with me, Yuichiro?" he asked calmly. "After all, I only took back what was mine… You..."

Forgetting her anger for a moment, the ravenette found herself blinking in confusion for that was the last thing she had expected her guardian to say.

"I don't understand, Guren…"

Seeing the hesitance in the younger girl's eyes, Guren slowly brought his hand to Yuichiro's and gently closed it around hers. He knew his ward well enough to know that she was only trying to intimidate him into answering her questions and that it was completely against Yuichiro's nature and honor to harm an unarmed person.

Even if that person was himself, and they both knew she had every reason, every right, to.

"Have you forgotten what I said? You belong to me, and I don't share what's mine, especially not with that arrogant blond boy. Even if he _is_ your dear orphanage brother."

Yuichiro glared at Guren though she did not try to attack him with the letter opener, at least not yet. Guren knew he was toeing a fine line by bringing up Mikaela with her. Even with his demon, the older man knew he was unlikely to survive if he provoked Yuichiro into slashing his throat by being careless with his words.

"Give me one good reason why I _shouldn't_ slice your throat open, Guren! After all, that's what you almost did to me, wasn't it?! Not only that, you betrayed our squads and the rest of the MDC who trusted you!" Yuichiro accused, her voice a mixture of anger and grief.

Contrary to what she thought, the older man did not try to refute or deny her accusation because she spoke the truth, even if he _was_ possessed by Mahiru-no-Yo the entire time. Guren also knew that demons could not force their contractors to do something completely against their nature, only tempt them into acting upon their true desires.

And he simply could not let anyone else have Yuichiro, not if he could help it.

"Yes, it's true. I betrayed everyone in the end, including you. I was too weak to let Mikaela take you away from me, so I gave in to my demon." Guren confessed even though his eyes showed no hint of remorse for what he had done because he knew it would do it all over again.

Yuichiro stared at her guardian incredulously. "Are you serious, Guren? For that reason alone, so many people had to die?"

"And what if it is, Yuu? Can you tell me with all honesty that Mika would not have done the same if he were in my shoes? The boy is totally obsessed with you."

"W..what are you trying to say?" Yuichiro sputtered. Was her guardian saying what she thought he was?

"I am not trying to justify or excuse what I did, Yuichiro. I'm only telling you why I did it. So, what will you do now that you know? Will you take my life so carelessly as you took my love?" Guren asked sadly as he leaned forward slightly, allowing the blade of the letter opener in Yuichiro's hand to press against his throat, his eyes never leaving hers. They both knew it wouldn't take much effort on Yuu's part to pierce the tender flesh and end Guren's life if she chose.

Not knowing what else to say, Yuichiro sputtered. "L..love?"

Surely, she must be hearing things. Did such a word even exist in Guren's vocabulary?

As if reading her mind, the older man's lips curved into a smile that looked almost triumphant, dangerous even, for it made Yuichiro doubt the sincerity of his words. She may have liked and respected Guren as her guardian, mentor, and superior officer, but that didn't mean she believed or trusted him completely. Yuichiro also knew Guren to be a very cunning man, clever enough not to be so careless as to leave something in his room that she could use as a weapon against him.

Unless that was his intention all along: to put her in this position.

"What, you didn't think me capable of feeling such a thing? You wound me, Yuichiro. Can you imagine how I felt when you chose to side with Mikaela against me? Tell me, Yuu, was your brother there for you these last four years, or was it I? Was he the one who fed you? Sheltered you? Protected you?"

As he asked her this, Guren's expression softened and his tone sounded tender, protective even. He even started to sound more honest and sincere as well.

"I…" Yuichiro began before closing her mouth when she found that there was nothing she could say to refute Guren's assertion.

After taking her away from Shinoa and the others, Mika confessed that he had spent the last half-decade searching for Yuichiro after they were violently separated at the gates of Sanguinem. But Yuichiro knew there was no way she could prove that to her guardian.

And even if she could, it did not change the fact that Guren was absolutely right. No matter how it happened, _he_ was the one who saved her after she was thrust into the world outside the vampire city alone, not Mikaela.

And were it not for Guren, Yuichiro would not have been able to survive by herself for very long. Especially with the painful wound Ferid had given her and no access to food and water. At most, Yuichiro would have lasted a few days to a week before she either starved to death, froze to death, or succumbed to her injuries. They both knew that she owed him her life. And in more ways than one.

Now that he had Yuichiro right where he wanted her, Guren was finally able to take the letter opener away from his ward and she did not try to stop him. Before the younger girl could change her mind, Guren did the one thing he knew would give him her undivided attention:

He started to sing to her.

" _ **You have come here**_ _ **  
**_ _ **in pursuit of**_ _ **  
**_ _ **your deepest urge,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **in pursuit of**_ _ **  
**_ _ **that wish,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **which till now**_ _ **  
**_ _ **has been silent,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **silent . . .**_

 _ **I have brought you,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **that our passions**_ _ **  
**_ _ **may fuse and merge -**_ _ **  
**_ _ **in your mind**_ _ **  
**_ _ **you've already**_ _ **  
**_ _ **succumbed to me**_ _ **  
**_ _ **dropped all defenses**_ _ **  
**_ _ **completely succumbed to me -**_ _ **  
**_ _ **now you are here with me:**_ _ **  
**_ _ **no second thoughts,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **you've decided,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **decided . . ."**_

Yuichiro released a soft gasp and her eyes widened at hearing the rich baritone voice she adored as a child but had not heard since she moved out of Guren's home to join the Shibuya Guard over a year ago. Yuichiro used to beg Guren to sing to her, and now he was suddenly doing it freely, out of the blue. The only other time Guren surprised her with a song was when he accidently walked in on her while she was cleaning his home office, and they sang the opening song of _**The**_ _ **Phantom of the Opera**_ together. ***2***

Yuichiro could say that Guren's voice captivated her from the first time she heard it, and it became a treat for her to hear him sing after that.

But, unlike that time, he would never do it for free. Few people knew Guren Ichinose could carry a tune and he preferred to keep it that way. Otherwise, he'd have hordes of girls begging him to sing for them, considering how popular he was among the ladies.

It delighted Yuichiro when Guren sang to her as a reward for exceling at her studies and training; she treasured it far more than money or material things. While she and Mika had sang together all the time as children Yuichiro had to that admit her brother's voice couldn't compare to that of her guardian's.

And unknown to his young ward, Guren had never sung to anyone else, not even his first love, Mahiru Hiragi, since she did not share Yuichiro's as well as his own love of music. ***3***

The same voice he used to lead the bloodiest of battles also had the power to calm, soothe, even charm the beautiful (and dangerous) green-eyed spitfire he had raised from childhood. Hearing Guren sing easily made Yuichiro forget the stress of the last battle as well as the draining affects her seraph powers had placed on her body.

Even if she wouldn't admit it, the ravenette was pleased that her guardian would do this for her and her alone. The effect Guren's voice had on Yuichiro was akin to that of a snake charmer; the only difference was that his singing prevented her from stabbing instead of biting him.

Yuichiro was about to ask her guardian why he was singing to her now since she hadn't done anything to earn it when she suddenly realized that she had been straddling him in a rather intimate position the whole time while clad in a flimsy nightgown.

As a result, Yuichiro suddenly found her face growing as red as a tomato.

Blushing furiously, Yuichiro stiffened and attempted to stand up when she felt Guren tighten his hold on her hand, put his other arm around her waist and pulled her closer, as if they were dancing in a ballroom, before continuing his song.

" _ **Past the point**_ _ **  
**_ _ **of no return -**_ _ **  
**_ _ **no backward glances:**_ _ **  
**_ _ **the games we've played**_ _ **  
**_ _ **till now are at**_ _ **  
**_ _ **an end . . .**_

 _ **Past all thought**_ _ **  
**_ _ **of 'if' or 'when' -**_ _ **  
**_ _ **no use resisting:**_ _ **  
**_ _ **abandon thought,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **and let the dream**_ _ **  
**_ _ **descend . . .**_

 _ **What raging fire**_ _ **  
**_ _ **shall flood the soul?**_ _ **  
**_ _ **What rich desire**_ _ **  
**_ _ **unlocks its door?**_ _ **  
**_ _ **What sweet seduction**_ _ **  
**_ _ **lies before**_ _ **  
**_ _ **us . . .?**_ _ **"**_

Enchanted by Guren's voice and intense violet-eyed stare, Yuichiro stopped struggling. She even forgot about how angry she was with him for what he did at the airport not too long ago.

As if his fine looks weren't enticing enough, the older man's voice was captivating to her and all Yuichiro wanted was to hear more.

Yuichiro shifted slightly to hear Guren better when she felt the cool metal of the locket her orphanage brother had given her brush against against her skin. ***4*** Brief thoughts of her orphanage brother flashed through her mind, but Yuichiro knew that there was nothing she could do for him at the moment. And for as long as she knew him, the blond was a tough survivor, so Yuichiro assured herself that Mikaela would be all right before tucking him in the back of her mind and silently begging Guren to continue with her eyes.

And with a smirk, he obliged her.

" _ **Past the point**_ _ **  
**_ _ **of no return,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **the final threshold -**_ _ **  
**_ _ **what warm,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **unspoken secrets**_ _ **  
**_ _ **will we learn?**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Beyond the point**_ _ **  
**_ _ **of no return . . ."**_

As he sang the those few verses, Guren's lips curved into a seductive smile, more alluring than Yuichiro had ever pictured in her imagination. His intense and beautiful violet eyes twinkled with gentle mischief as he released the hand holding hers and started to loosen the collar of his dress shirt before slowly undoing the buttons.

Unable to tear her eyes away, Yuichiro's face blossomed into a deeper blush as Guren teased her with glimpses of his toned chest. His fit, sculpted torso had remained ingrained in her memory from the day he saved her from drowning after she'd fallen off the ledge of a waterfall. That day, Guren's body had been dripping with water and although his skin was dry now, it was no less alluring. ***5***

Bewildered, Yuichiro wondered if it was her imagination or if Guren was actually performing a strip tease for her?

Guren said nothing but paused and gave her a warm gaze as if he were waiting for something. Knowing exactly what that was, Yuichiro finally submitted to her guardian's will, took a breath, and sang the next part of the song, one of many, from her favorite musical.

" _ **You have brought me**_ _ **  
**_ _ **to that moment**_ _ **  
**_ _ **where words run dry,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **to that moment**_ _ **  
**_ _ **where speech**_ _ **  
**_ _ **disappears**_ _ **  
**_ _ **into silence,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **silence . . .**_

 _ **I have come here,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **hardly knowing**_ _ **  
**_ _ **the reason why . . .**_ _ **  
**_ _ **In my mind,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **I've already**_ _ **  
**_ _ **imagined our**_ _ **  
**_ _ **bodies entwining**_ _ **  
**_ _ **defenseless and silent -**_ _ **  
**_ _ **and now I am**_ _ **  
**_ _ **here with you:**_ _ **  
**_ _ **no second thoughts,**_

 _ **I've decided,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **decided . . .**_ _ **"**_

Pleased to see Yuichiro finally playing along, Guren gently took her hands in own after undoing the last button of his shirt and cajoled her into placing them on his bare skin as soon as she finished singing the latest verse. Yuichiro was barely able to sing the next verse clearly as she subconsciously ran her fingers on the dips of his abs, her voice shaking as she tried her best to stay on key and in tune.

" _ **Past the point**_ _ **  
**_ _ **of no return -**_ _ **  
**_ _ **no going back now:**_ _ **  
**_ _ **our passion-play**_ _ **  
**_ _ **has now, at last,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **begun . . .**_

 _ **Past all thought**_ _ **  
**_ _ **of right or wrong -**_ _ **  
**_ _ **one final question:**_ _ **  
**_ _ **how long should we**_ _ **  
**_ _ **two wait, before**_ _ **  
**_ _ **we're one . . .?**_

 _ **When will the blood**_ _ **  
**_ _ **begin to race**_ _ **  
**_ _ **the sleeping bud**_ _ **  
**_ _ **burst into bloom?**_ _ **  
**_ _ **When will the flames,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **at last, consume**_ _ **  
**_ _ **us?"**_

Guiding Yuichiro's hands with his own, Guren slowly moved them from his abs to his chest before tilting his head back and releasing a soft groan, making the younger girl's breath hitch in her throat for this was one side of her guardian she's thought she'd never see. If he wasn't holding onto her hands, Yuichiro would have pinched herself to see if she was dreaming.

For years, Yuichiro believed that her feelings for this handsome, older man was nothing more than a childish infatuation brought on by his fine looks. After all, she wasn't supposed to feel this way for someone who raised her like his own daughter or little sister. Yuichiro tried to convince herself that her growing desire for her mentor wasn't real but was dismayed when she found herself failing miserably just from one look into Guren's beautiful eyes.

Amused at her shyness, Guren gazed at Yuichiro again and as if on cue, they both took a breath and sang the next verse of their song together.

" _ **Past the point**_ _ **  
**_ _ **of no return**_ _ **  
**_ _ **the final threshold -**_ _ **  
**_ _ **the bridge**_ _ **  
**_ _ **is crossed, so stand**_ _ **  
**_ _ **and watch it burn . . .**_ _ **  
**_ _ **We've passed the point**_ _ **  
**_ _ **of no return . . ."**_

After they trailed off the last verse, Guren gently released Yuichiro's hands before snaking an arm around her waist, cupping her face with his other hand, and leaning closer to sing the final verse softly into her ear.

" _ **Say you'll share with me  
One love, one lifetime  
Lead me, save me from my solitude…"**_

" _ **Say you want me with you here beside you  
Anywhere you go, let me go too  
Yuichiro, that's all I ask of you…" **_***6***

 **Footnotes:**

 **1\. After abducting fem!Yuu, Guren takes her to his home in the Nagoya prefecture. In the LNs, his family was described as being quite wealthy and owned several homes, properties, and other assets but fem!Yuu does not realize this until Guren tells her.**

 **2\. Refer to "Who She is Within** **,** **" chapter 20.**

 **3\. Since there was a scene of Guren listening to music from a vintage record player in episode 12 of the anime, I assume he has a liking for music. In my fem!Yuu AU series, Guren is also a talented singer as well as swordsman.**

 **4\. Fem!Yuu's most prized possession is a gold heart-shaped locket Mika gives her before they parted in Sanguinem when she was 12. The locket is mentioned many times in my main AU series and is inspired by Smartanimegirl/AngeliqueNade.**

 **5\. Refer to "Who She is Within", chapter 17.**

 **6.** " **The Point of No Return" is a song from** _ **The Phantom of the Opera**_ **between the musical's title character, the Phantom, and his love interest, Christine. The song is part of the Phantom's opera,** _ **Don Juan Triumphant**_ **,** **which he forces the opera to stage. The song focuses on the Phantom's seduction of Christine which I used to parallel Guren's attempt to seduce fem!Yuu and make her forget about Mikaela.**


	11. The Point of No Return: Part II

**Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only and as a gift for my devout readers and reviewers, VampireSiren and AngeliqueNade. The song "Point of No Return" is written and owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber. This story is a two-shot, "What if" alternative route to my "canon" fem!Yuu AU saga. As a warning, this story has some nudity and sexual content so I suggest you not read if you are offended by such material. I would also like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho, for her help in making this fic possible. That said, enjoy and please review!**

 **The Point of No Return**

 **Part II**

After he finally finished the song, Guren smiled again as he drew his eyes closed and pulled Yuichiro closer until his lips were just a hair-width's breadth away from hers. The sudden, unexpected action made the younger girl gasp as she placed her hands on his chest and gently pushed him away.

"W..what do you think you're doing, Guren! This isn't like you!"

Instead of being offended, Guren regarded her curiously as if Yuichiro had just asked him the silliest thing.

"You're wrong, Yuu. This is _exactly_ like me; I just hid it because I didn't want anyone else to know how I really felt about you."

"But, I thought you only saw me as a child!" she protested. "When did that change?"

Guren sighed before rolling his eyes towards the ceiling as if in deep thought. "Well, I'm not sure, exactly. Maybe when I discovered that the spirited little boy I found outside of Sanguinem was really a girl? Or when she started dressing like one?"

After answering Yuichiro's question, Guren tried to kiss her again but the younger girl still hesitated, making him frown slightly.

"Why do you shy away from me, Yuu?" Guren whispered sensuously as he gently stroked Yuichiro's cheek with his finger, making goosebumps rise on her skin. "You were _quite_ bold when you tried to seduce Shinya…" ***1***

"W..what? I don't know what you mean!" Yuichiro protested, mortified that her guardian could know such a thing.

Judging from their interaction at their airport, it was clearly the first time Shinya and Guren saw each other after they were forced to part at Crowley's temporary hideout. There was no way Shinya could have had the chance to tell Guren what happened between him and Yuichrio while she was possessed by Asuramaru.

Yuichiro bumbled as she tried to think of a way to deny her guardian's claim which they both knew were right on the mark, making him laugh in amusement. Although displeased that his best friend had dared to touch, let alone kiss, Yuichiro, Guren still took advantage of that knowledge to bait her. As for Shinya himself, Guren decided that he would deal with the other man later.

"Don't you? My senses are sharp, and I can smell him on you; he didn't have to say a word. So, if you can kiss Shinya, why not me as well? After all, I am more… _experienced_ than he is," Guren teased.

Oddly enough, the older man's confession actually made Yuichiro a little jealous even though she knew it was to be expected considering that Guren was nearly a decade older than her. It also dawned on Yuu that the special friend he once told her about who passed away long ago was an old lover of his.

A lover whose name he never disclosed.

Instead of waiting for Yuichiro to answer, Guren slowly pulled her towards himself again and pressed his lips to hers. Even as someone who had at least a little experience kissing another, Yuichiro still hesitated slightly, even though she didn't try to push him away this time.

That was, until Guren slid his hands down her back to cup her soft rear, the one he secretly enjoyed spanking when she misbehaved, and gave it a firm squeeze, causing her to gasp in surprise. When Yuichiro finally opened her mouth, Guren slid his tongue past her lips and teeth to sweep the hot cavern of her mouth.

"Mmmph…!" Yuichiro moaned and finally stopped struggling as she became dizzy with pleasure. In her innocence, Yuichiro thought all men tasted like Shinya, the first man with whom she shared a passionate kiss, even if it was under Asuramaru's influence to get him to drop his guard.

But this time was different because Yuichiro wasn't possessed and from the look in Guren's eyes, he wasn't either; he wanted this, there was no denying that.

 _But why?_ Yuichiro wondered. _The way he always treats me like a child, like a little girl, I never would have guess that_ this _was how he truly felt…_

If she could, Yuichiro would have asked what possessed Guren to do what he was doing to her now, if not his demon. However, the question never got the chance to pass her lips before she became distracted by something else, something hard rubbing against her thigh making her eyes widen; even as a virgin maid, Yuichiro still knew what _that_ was.

Breaking the kiss, the ravenette shifted her legs slightly to get away from that awkward feeling. Her action did not go unnoticed by Guren and he gave Yuichiro a suggestive smirk as he started to bounce her playfully on his knee.

"What's the matter, Yuu?" he teased. "Don't you like what you see? Aren't my feelings for you clear enough? Or are you just pretending to ignore that part of me poking into your thigh like that?"

"W..what do you mean?" Yuichiro squeaked as she was forced to place her hands on Guren's shoulders and hold onto him to keep from losing her balance and falling over.

Laughing softly, he answered, "I mean, would you like to see more? You seemed to appreciate my… assets…that day I saved you from drowning, remember?"

Yuichiro gulped as she realized that Guren had indeed noticed that she took more than a few moments to admire his body when she saw him shirtless at the waterfall grounds. Oh, how Yuichiro had hoped that her guardian had forgotten that awkward incident, but, as it turned out, she had no such luck.

"I…" Yuichiro began before closing her mouth again. It was not often that she found herself at a total loss for words but this time, Yuichiro truly did not know how to answer Guren's assertion. If she said "No," then they'd both know she was lying.

Without waiting for her to answer, the older man continued as he stilled his knee and allowed his ward a breath of relief, even if only temporary.

"I suppose I should take that as a 'yes'?" he pressed in a sing-song tone.

As he asked this, Guren looked directly into Yuichiro's eyes, giving her the same intense and seductive stare she gave Shinya before making advances on him. Though Guren tried not to show it, deep down, he secretly worried that his ward might end up rejecting him if he came onto her too strongly and quickly and decided to back off a little.

To Guren's relief, his strategy worked when Yuichiro looked down shyly but nodded her head.

"Well then, be my guest, Yuu…" Guren said in a husky tone, one she didn't think he was capable of making.

Without speaking, Yuichiro pulled the rest of Guren's unbuttoned shirt from his shoulders and down his arms, where he assisted her by pulling his hands out of the sleeves after releasing her for a brief moment.

However, Guren's nimble hands didn't stay off the object of his desire for very long before he took Yuu's hands in his own again, this time, guiding them down to his pants that were still buttoned and zipped. Though she had absolutely zero experience in this area, it wasn't hard for Yuichiro to figure out when Guren wanted her to do. She did appreciate that the older man was at least willing to let her move at her own pace which made things a little easier.

Trying not to let Guren see how embarrassed she was, Yuichiro swiftly undid the buttons and pulled down the zipper while avoiding his eyes.

And no sooner was she done with that, Yuichiro felt Guren close a hand around her right wrist and gave it a gentle tug: right inside his pants and past his undergarments.

Yuichiro gasped when she found her hand closing around something quite long and hard, no doubt the most intimate part of Guren's body. With his hand gripping hers, he coaxed and guided Yuichiro into pumping his bare, hard member until she finally caught on enough to continue alone.

But Guren wanted Yuichiro to work a bit harder so he pretended to be unimpressed and unsatisfied even though the expression on her face told him she wasn't buying it; he was clearly struggling to keep himself from groaning with pleasure.

Although she would never admit it, Yuichiro rather enjoyed having Guren at her mercy in this manner; the older, normally stoic-faced man's eyes were glazed. His eyes widened, and his lower lip puckered out whenever she slowed her ministrations. For someone who always tried to act so tough, Guren was awfully cute when he looked so vulnerable like this. If she remembered correctly, the other girls of her dorm referred to this sexual act as a "hand job."

As obsessed as Yuichiro was with her training then, she couldn't deny that such talk among her classmates _had_ piqued her interest, even if she pretended otherwise. Yuichiro just had no idea that such a simple act on her part could make a man feel so good. Especially Guren of all people, considering that she had seen him shun advances from men and women alike, leading her to think that he had no sexual desires whatsoever. ***2***

"Mmm… that feels nice, Yuu. You're such a good girl… But now it's my turn…"

Before the younger girl could ask what he meant, Guren brought his hands to her shoulders and tugged on her white cotton nightgown before pulling them down, exposing her entire upper body which was just as bare as his own, until Yuichiro was clad only in her frilly white panties.

As Guren undressed her, Yuichiro suddenly found herself wondering how she woke up perfectly clean and clad in that nightgown in the first place. If Sayuri or Shigure were not the ones who cleaned and changed her out of her JIDA uniform while she was unconscious, that that must mean…

"D…did you..?" Yuichiro began but the question died on her lips when Guren pulled the rest of her nightgown down her hips before hooking his arms under her legs and started to carry her bridal style back to the bed she woke up on when she finally came to.

"Hmm? Did I what, Yuu?" Guren purred as he nuzzled Yuichiro in the neck before laying her down in bed clad only in her panties and hovered over her; their new position giving the younger girl a complete and unobstructed view of his strong and splendid body not hidden by his dark uniform.

At least, above the waist for now.

Yuichiro wanted to ask Guren if he was the one who changed her out of her uniform and into the nightgown she was wearing until it ended up being left on the couch behind them.

But try as she might, the question would not leave her lips. Not when she was distracted by…other things.

Thinking that it must be her demon pranking her again like he did when he conjured up that 19th century themed illusion as they fought for dominance in her subconscious, Yuichiro silently called out to Asuramaru within her mind.

" _Asuramaru, this had better not be one of your stupid jokes because it's NOT funny!"_

" _Why, whatever do you mean, Yuu?"_

" _Don't play dumb! I told you not to make any more illusions or dreams of Guren to mess with me!"_ ***3***

" _And I've kept my promise, Miss Hyakuya…"_

" _What? You mean this is not a dream? It_ _'_ _s real? It can't be!"_

Not believing her demon's denial of her accusation, Yuichiro attempted to pinch herself awake when she felt Guren's hands close tightly above her wrists and pulled them high above her head before he kissed her again, sliding his tongue inside her mouth and moving it in a provocative imitation of love-making.

If Asuramaru was lying and this was indeed a dream, it would be his most daring illusion yet.

Even so, Yuichiro could find no evidence that what Guren was doing to her now was a dream or figment of her imagination, especially when she felt him release one of her wrists before pulling off her panties, parting her legs slightly with his free hand, and sliding a warm finger inside her.

Yuichiro yelped before she found herself moaning with pleasure when Guren took his finger out and started rubbing that sensitive nub between her legs with the pads of his other fingers until she felt herself getting wet down there, exciting her. As he expected, Yuichiro was unspoiled; Guren had made sure of that when he scared off the boys at her school who tried to get too close to Yuichiro without his permission; she was his and his alone. ***4***

Breathing heavily, the younger girl felt her pleasure intensifying; it wouldn't be long before she went over the edge, but, when Yuichiro was almost there, Guren withdrew his hand all of a sudden, making her whimper pitifully in disappointment as she looked at him lustfully with longing.

"You're so cute when you do that, Yuu…" he teased.

"Why…you…pompous…ass!" Yuichiro gasped, repeating the words she said to him when they dueled in front of the entire MDC for his comment on taking her lightly.

Only this time, she wasn't frustrated with Guren for underestimating her fighting skills but for denying her pleasure.

"But, Yuu, just moments ago, you didn't even want me kissing you and now you want _this?_ What made you change your mind?" he teased with a smug grin.

Yuichiro glared at her mentor, trying to hide her embarrassment behind a mask of anger, but, as usual, Guren saw right through her. By now, he knew his young ward well enough to know when she was expressing one emotion while feeling a contradictory one, especially now that she was mumbling something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like "baka."

"Hmm, what was that?"

Yuichiro gritted her teeth as she finally forced the words on her mind out of her mouth.

"Baka Guren!"

"Hmm, maybe. But you want some more of this 'baka,' don't you, Yuichiro?"

Not wanting to give Guren the satisfaction of seeing her beg, Yuichiro pouted her lips at him. Although she refused to admit it, the younger girl definitely wanted more; her soft, plump rosy lips begged to be kissed again and, instead of answering his question, Yuichiro looped her arms around Guren's neck to pull him down for just that.

This time, however, she showed none of the hesitance she did before when he kissed her for the first time. Young and inexperienced Yuichiro may be, but once she was aroused, her sexual appetite was voracious, and being the wielder of a demon weapon only intensified her desires.

After his need for air became too great to ignore, Guren finally broke the kiss and snapped his head back to catch his breath before he felt Yuichiro try to make a grab for him again but, being the smooth bastard he was, Guren easily evaded her hands before hooking his arms under her legs to spread them wider.

"Hey, what are you doing…?" the younger girl demanded before yelping when she felt him dot kisses along her inner thigh before she also felt something hot and wet licking her most feminine area.

Clutching Guren's hair, Yuichiro moaned loudly, as she felt nerves she didn't even know she had being stimulated until she thought she was going to go over the edge again.

But when Yuichiro was almost there, her so-called bed mate ceased his pleasuring of her.

Again.

"Urgh! I'm gonna kill you for this, Guren!" she shrieked in frustration.

If Yuichiro wasn't being pinned down by her mentor's heavy frame, she would have kicked him for his little pranks. There was no doubt in her mind that Guren was enjoying this, even more than when he was baiting her during their sparing sessions.

The older man gave her another one of his teasing smirks. "You disappoint me, Yuichiro. Did you really expect me to give you little treats like that for free?" he asked in a mischievous tone.

"Hey, no fair! You started it!" Yuichiro pouted in a childish manner as if she were still the twelve-year old girl Guren took under his wing instead of the teenager on the threshold of womanhood that she was now.

"Hmm, true. I guess I was being nice and generously giving you free samples," the older man teased as if he had been giving her candies instead of erotic pleasures.

"Hmph! Don't expect me to beg, you bastard!" Yuichiro snapped as she stuck her tongue at him since her position didn't allow her to cross her arms and look away.

"Yes, I know how much you hate begging since you're such a proud girl," Guren said as he touched his nose to hers. "But if you want more, you'll have to earn it."

Yuichiro raised a brow. "Oh?" she asked curiously.

"Yep," the older man confirmed as he took Yuichiro by the shoulders and forced her into a kneeling position on the bed.

"W..what are you doing?" Yuichiro demanded, confused.

Taking her gently by the chin with one hand, Guren looked straight into Yuichiro's eyes and said, "If you can please me, I'll return the favor tenfold…"

Blushing, the younger girl found herself looking down _again_. Even if she was a virgin maid, Yuichiro still had a pretty good idea of what her bed mate wanted.

"That's not fair, Guren; you know I'm not…experienced. You saw to that when you scared all those boys at school away from me."

"Of course, I know. I told you, _I don't share what's mine._ And you belong to me, body and soul."

Although Guren staked his claim on Yuichiro in a teasing and playful manner, his eyes told her that he was dead serious about what he said: she was _his_. Not Mika's nor Shinya's nor anyone else's.

And were Shinya not his best friend, Guren probably wouldn't have hesitated to lop off his head or run him through with his sword for touching and kissing Yuichiro, even if she _was_ the one who initiated it. So Guren decided that letting his so-called best friend rot in his jail cell for a while longer before he freed him would do.

Trying not to think about what her mentor might do to his best friend for that, Yuichiro said, "I'm not sure what to do, Guren."

Leaning forward slightly, the older man whispered playfully into her ear, "Well, there are other things I can teach you besides fighting, Yuu…"

Taking the hint, the younger girl nodded, relieved that Guren wasn't going to make her beg for what she wanted. Yuichiro may have had little experience with pleasing men, but she wasn't totally clueless. With her sharp hearing, Yuichiro used to overhear her female classmates talk about what they did or would like to do with their boyfriends in bed, even though she didn't believe them most of the time. The ravenette always assumed that the other girls read too many trashy romance novels or watched too many movies they weren't old enough to see.

Shinoa even gave Yuichiro a Japanese-translated copy of that classic erotic French novel, **_The Lover_** , by Marguerite Duras, as a gift to get her to think about something other than training and studying to exterminate vampires. ***5***

Out of courtesy, the ravenette had thanked her friend for the novel, but had said she wasn't interested in that kind of thing. In reality, though, Yuichiro had secretly spent what little free time she could spare to read it in the privacy of her dorm room before bed out of curiosity.

Before she discovered that Mikaela was alive, Yuichiro couldn't deny that less-than-innocent thoughts of her mentor went through her mind as she devoured the chapters one by one, especially the love scenes, and had pictured Guren and herself in the role of the main couple.

However, she had always dismissed such thoughts as wishful thinking, believing that Guren would never see her in such a light.

Until now.

"Would you like me to, Yuu?" Guren asked, snapping the younger girl out of her thoughts.

"Y..yes, I would," she answered after a moment's hesitation.

"Good…" the older man whispered before taking Yuichiro's hands and guiding them to the waistband of his pants. "For starters, you can help me out of these…"

Guren said nothing more, he didn't need to; Yuichiro knew exactly what to do and helped him out of his pants and undergarments. Using her imagination, the younger girl did what she thought would make her bed mate feel good; she pressed a kiss to the hollow of his throat before placing her hands on his chest and gently pushed him over until he was lying on his back with her on top of him this time.

Although she felt shy about asking, Guren could tell what was on Yuichiro's mind when she looked down at him curiously, her palms still flat on his chest. For some reason, Yuichiro liked seeing Guren like this; she had to secretly admit that having someone like him at her mercy was a turn-on for her.

"Go on… I'm all yours…" the older man teased, knowing Yuichiro was not as innocent as she pretended to be if she could do what she did to Shinya.

Delighted that Guren was giving her free reign to do what she wanted, Yuichiro decided to use her imagination to figure out what would please him enough to give her what she had secretly wanted for years. As handsome as Mikaela was, he didn't send Yuichiro's heart reeling time and again like Guren did with his suave confidence and sword-fighting skills to back it up as well as his enticing looks and that oh-so charming voice.

Straddling her bed mate again, the younger girl leaned over and kissed him full on the mouth again, slipping her tongue into his mouth and imitating what he did with her earlier, when they shared their first kiss.

Unlike before, Yuichiro started out slowly, savoring Guren's flavor before breaking the kiss when a mischievous idea crossed her mind. Acting on instinct, the younger girl moved down slowly, dotting little kisses down his chest and abs before she took her bed mate's hard arousal in her hand and licked it from base to tip, making him gasp even though he _did_ ask for it.

But Yuichiro wasn't through with Guren yet. She made that clear when she placed a hot, wet kiss right on the tip of his member, swirling her tongue around the sensitive head before taking him completely into her mouth, making her bed mate moan as he buried his fingers in her long raven tresses.

With his pleasure intensifying, Guren tightened his grip on Yuichiro's hair until her scalp ached, but the ravenette thought it was a small price to pay if she can turn the tables and make the sly bastard beg _her_ to give him more pleasure.

 _Now_ _,_ _let's see how you like it, baka Guren!_ Yuichiro thought smugly as she pulled away when Guren was about to climax.

Though it was her first time giving any man what she heard other girls call a "blowjob" or "head," the ravenette could still tell when her bedmate was getting close when he started moaning louder and breathing more heavily. Another reason Yuichiro ceased her teasing was because she didn't want Guren to lose control and accidently tear her hair from her scalp if he forgot himself like he did back at the airport battle.

"You're so naughty, Yuu…" the older man growled in a husky voice as he reached out to grab Yuichiro like she tried to grab him earlier.

"Haha… well I had to learn it from somewhere. Or rather _someone…"_ Yuichiro giggled as she tried to evade her bed mate's attempts to grab her.

"Well, I'm allowed to. You're not, brat," Guren said with a grin before he managed to grab the younger girl with his long reach.

Sitting up again, Guren pulled Yuichiro over his lap, bending her over until she was lying on her stomach, just as easily as he did the day she tried to evade her punishment for swatting him in the rear with the flat of her sword during their training session at the waterfall grounds.

"Oh no, don't you dare, baka!" Yuichiro yelled, knowing what was going to come next.

"Or what?" Guren challenged with a snicker before he brought his flat palm down on Yuichiro's soft, naked rear and making her yelp. His brazen act reminded Yuu of the day he spanked her for pranking him because he also ended up having to save her from drowning after she fell off the waterfall ledge and into the lake below. ***6***

Only, this time, Yuichiro's bottom was completely bare like a newborn baby's, allowing Guren to see her lush, womanly curves and flawless skin.

 _Oh, how the little girl has grown…_ he thought as he continued to spank Yuichiro until her lovely skin turned pink.

Not wanting to prolong her embarrassing "punishment" any further, Yuichiro whimpered something under her breath as she buried her face in the sheets.

"Hmm? What was that, Yuu?" Guren asked in a teasing manner as he slowly ceased his swatting of her sensitive bottom.

"Stop, Guren…" she answered in a muffled voice. Yuichiro knew that her plan to make her bed mate beg her for more pleasure had backfired, and it looked like she was the one who was going to be doing the begging after all.

"I would but you forgot to say 'please.'"

Yuichiro groaned. _He's really_ _gonna_ _make me go through with this, isn't he?_ she thought.

The older man seemed to read her thoughts when she hesitated to answer and snickered.

"Oh, as sure as your pretty little ass belongs to me, Yuu!"

Knowing that Guren can keep going until her bottom ached so much she wouldn't be able to sit down for a week, Yuichiro finally gave in and acknowledge defeat.

"Please, stop, Guren…"

Pleased with his victory, the older man couldn't help rubbing it in a bit. "Will you promise to be a good girl if I do?"

"Yes…"

"Yes, what?"

"I promise…"

After she had given the answer he wanted to hear, Guren finally pulled Yuichiro from his lap and flipped her over on the bed until she was lying on her back. Playtime was over and now he was finally going to give her what they both want.

Although his instinctive desire to dominate his young lover urged him to thrust into her right this moment, Guren knew he had to remain gentle if he didn't want to hurt her. His experience with Mahiru taught him that the act could be uncomfortable or even painful for the woman on her first time, and any carelessness on his part could cause Yuichiro extreme pain.

Spreading her legs wider to make room for himself, Guren became serious again when he saw Yuichiro looked up at him with an expression that bordered between excitement, curiosity, and a little fear.

"Hold onto me," he instructed her, his voice tight with deeply restrained lust.

"Yes, Guren…" Yuichiro said as she obeyed and looped her arms under his, holding him close. The younger girl gasped when she felt him finally enter her, shutting her eyes as the pressure of the sudden invasion of her body slowly built up inside her. Like Guren, Yuichiro knew her first time would hurt, but, if she only had to bear the pain one time, it would be worth it.

Not wanting to hurt his bed mate but knowing it was inevitable, Guren tried his best to make this as easy on Yuichiro as possible. He knew that if she could tolerate pain from being injured on the battlefield, she would be able to bear what he had to do next, if only for a moment.

"Relax, Yuu. It will hurt less if you do."

Before the younger girl could ask what he meant, Guren suddenly drew back before plunging into her in one swift, hard thrust, making her scream with pain before releasing her hold on him.

To Yuichiro, her bed mate's unexpected action made her feel like she was being split in two. In addition to the pain, the girl also felt something wetting the inside of her thighs, no doubt the blood that resulted from having her barrier broken. As incredible as it may seem, Yuichiro was actually sorry that the satin sheets she was lying upon would have to be thrown away after this considering how she hated waste.

While waiting for her pain to subside, Guren looked down at Yuichiro, who was panting heavily, had beads of sweat on her forehead, and tears at the corner of her eyes, with concern in his own.

"Are you alright? How do you feel, Yuu?" he asked gently.

After she had finally caught her breath, the younger girl managed a small smile before answering.

"I'm fine now, Guren…" Yuichiro said as she held out her arms to reach for him again.

Smiling, the older man leaned over and touched his forehead to hers. "Good. It's done, now. You'll likely not have to worry about it again."

"Yes…" she whispered. Though Yuichiro did not relish the experience of having her barrier broken, the girl was glad to finally have her last obstacle to promises of unbridled pleasure removed.

Knowing that the older man was just as hungry and lustful as she was, Yuichiro looked him in the eyes, her own burning with lust.

"I want it…give it to me, Guren."

"Oh? You presume to give _me_ orders, Yuu? How daring!" the older man teased with a smirk.

Yuichiro responded by giving Guren a smirk of her own. "Don't expect me to beg, Guren. Not when I know you want it, too," she shot back in a husky voice.

"You're right, Yuu. I do," he admitted before dipping down to give his bed mate a kiss and entered her again.

This time, however, the girl felt no pain, just as her bed mate promised, only the delights that she had secretly desired and dreamed of for so long. Yuichiro finally let herself go and cried out with pleasure as Guren pushed himself deeper into her. Not surprisingly, Yuichiro's tunnel was hot and tight since he was the first one inside. And as long as Guren could help it, he would also be the only one as well.

Digging her nails into his back, Yuichiro arched her own and moaned louder as she felt her bed mate, her lover, plunging into her hard with no restraint. Although she could not speak while in her pleasure-filled haze, her body did the talking and begged, _demanded,_ that Guren finally finish what he started.

Not like the older man _needed_ to be told what his lover wanted in the first place.

Now that he knew Yuichiro could only feel pleasure, Guren quickened his pace and slammed into her harder as he felt his own climax coming. It didn't take long for the younger girl to join him in mutual ecstasy; she cried out in her own release when he finally came.

While she waited for Guren to come down from his high, Yuichiro slowly ran her fingertips up his bare back, making him shiver slightly from the feathery touches. When he finally managed to catch his breath, Guren buried his face in the crook of Yuichiro's neck before asking, "Are you satisfied now, Yuu?"

"Very…" the younger girl replied happily as she lifted one of her legs slightly to brush his rear with a bare foot. "What about yourself?"

Not wanting to pass up another chance to tease her, Guren grinned playfully at Yuichiro.

"I'm…content. You were pretty good considering what _little_ experience you have in pleasing a man," he teased.

Knowing that her lover was trying to bait her again, Yuichiro pouted at him. "Well, excuse me, baka! It's not like you would have ever let me get this kind of experience anywhere else!"

"I'm just kidding, Yuu. Of course, I wouldn't. How many times do I have to say it? You're mine and no one else's, understand?"

"Yes, love…"

Guren's expression softened. "So it's true? You love me, Yuichiro?"

"I do… doesn't mean I'll never get mad at you or your antics again."

"Likewise, Yuu," the older man said as he slowly eased himself from Yuichiro to lie at her side. The younger girl didn't resist when Guren pulled her into his arms.

"Don't think you're off the hook yet, Guren; you've still got a lot of explaining to do," the ravenette chided, even as she smiled at him good-naturedly.

Guren rolled his eyes and sighed. "I know, Yuu. But can it at least wait until tomorrow? You were so demanding, and I believe I've exhausted myself satisfying you."

For once, the younger girl did not argue or challenge his words. "Alright…" Yuichiro answered as she huddled closer to her lover.

Though she wouldn't admit it, Yuichiro was exhausted herself. The ravenette was about to say the words she knew Guren wanted and deserved to hear when she heard a soft snore and realize that he had fallen asleep, and she had to admit that her lover did look rather cute. So, she didn't have the heart to wake him.

Yuichiro smiled before closing her eyes and letting herself follow Guren into the world of dreams. She knew she didn't need to say anything now; her lover was already quite aware of her true feelings.

"I love you" can wait until morning.

 **Footnotes:**

 **1\. The scene between Shinya and fem!Yuu mentioned by Guren has not happened in my main fem!Yuu AU story yet. I predict it will take place in a few chapters.**

 **2\. Guren is implied to be popular among women and girls in the canon series; even Shinya and Goshi joke about liking him in that manner. In the LNs, Shinya (ironically) flirts with Guren most of all.**

 **3\. Refer to "Broken Bridges, Mended Hearts II", chapter 6.**

 **4\. In canon, Guren teases male!Yuu for being a "cherry boy" but in my AU series, he is protective of fem!Yuu's chastity. Since he desires her for himself, Guren always makes sure to scare other boys away from her.**

 _ **5\. The Lover**_ **(French:** _ **L'Amant**_ **) is an** **autobiographical novel** **by** **Marguerite Duras** **,** **published in 1984 by** **Les Éditions de Minuit** **.** **Set against the backdrop of** **French** **colonial** **Vietnam** **,** _ **The Lover**_ **reveals the intimacies and intricacies of a clandestine romance between a pubescent girl from a financially strapped French family and an older, wealthy** **Chinese** **man. I chose** _ **The Lover**_ **as a reference because I feel it parallels the Guren/fem!Yuu relationship since fem!Yuu is a young girl from a lower-income family who falls in love with Guren (in this alternate timeline) who is an older man from a wealthy family.**

 **6\. Refer to "Who She is Within** **,** **" chapter 17.**


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